Pronunciation: k&-'mit-m&nt
Date: 1621

1 a : an act of committing to a charge or trust: as (1) : a consignment to a penal or mental institution 2 a : an agreement or pledge to do something in the future; especially : an engagement to assume a financial obligation at a future date b : something pledged c : the state or an instance of being obligated 

When you fail to attend a meeting at which you have an assigned function or fail to fulfill your obligations as that functionary, you let the group down and also deny others the opportunity to reach their goals.