The Collaborative International Dictionary
Commutative \Com*mut"a*tive\, a. [CF. F. commutatif.]
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Relative to exchange; interchangeable; reciprocal. -- Com*mut"a*tive"ly, adv.
Rich traders, from their success, are presumed . . . to have cultivated an habitual regard to commutative justice.
--Burke. (Math.) having the property of commutativity.
Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
1530s, from Medieval Latin commutativus, from Latin commutat-, past participle stem of commutare (see commute (v.)).
Wiktionary
a. 1 (context mathematics of a binary operation English) Such that the order in which the operands are taken does not affect their image under the operation. 2 (context algebra of an algebraic structure English) Having a commutative operation. 3 (context mathematics of a diagram of morphisms English) Such that any two sequences of morphisms with the same initial and final positions compose to the same morphism.
WordNet
adj. of a binary operation; independent of order; as in e.g. "a x b = b x a"
Wikipedia
Usage examples of "commutative".
Inasmuch as it is a moral virtue, it has a share of prudence, which directs all the moral virtues: but from the very nature of justice, it has not only something belonging to justice, but also something belonging to temperance and fortitude, inasmuch as those things which cause pleasure, and which pertain to temperance, and those which cause terror, which fortitude moderates, are objects of commutative justice.
To speak properly, Commutative Justice, is the Justice of a Contractor.
And Merit (besides that which is by Covenant, where the performance on one part, meriteth the performance of the other part, and falls under Justice Commutative, not Distributive,) is not due by Justice.