pledge

[ plej ]

/ plɛdʒ /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR pledge ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a solemn promise or agreement to do or refrain from doing something: a pledge of aid; a pledge not to wage war.

something delivered as security for the payment of a debt or fulfillment of a promise, and subject to forfeiture on failure to pay or fulfill the promise.

the state of being given or held as security: to put a thing in pledge.

Law.

the act of delivering goods, property, etc., to another for security.
the resulting legal relationship.

something given or regarded as a security.

a person accepted for membership in a club, fraternity, or sorority, but not yet formally approved.

an assurance of support or goodwill conveyed by drinking a person's health; a toast.

Obsolete.

a hostage.
a person who becomes bail or surety for another.

verb (used with object), pledged, pledg·ing.

to bind by or as if by a pledge: to pledge hearers to secrecy.

to promise solemnly: to pledge one's support.

to give or deposit as a pledge; pawn.

to stake, as one's honor.

to secure by a pledge; give a pledge for.

to accept as a pledge for club, fraternity, or sorority membership.

to drink a health or toast to.

verb (used without object), pledged, pledg·ing.

to make or give a pledge: to pledge for someone.

to drink a pledge; toast someone's health, success, etc.

Idioms for pledge

take the pledge, to make a solemn, formal vow to abstain from intoxicating drink.

Origin of pledge

1275–1325; Middle English plege < Anglo-French < early Medieval Latin plevium, plebium, derivative of plebīre to pledge < Germanic; compare Old English plēon to risk, German pflegen to look after. See plight²

SYNONYMS FOR pledge

2 warranty, surety, guaranty.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR pledge ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM pledge

pledge·a·ble, adjective pledg·er, noun pledge·less, adjective in·ter·pledge, verb (used with object), in·ter·pledged, in·ter·pledg·ing.

pre·pledge, verb (used with object), pre·pledged, pre·pledg·ing; noun qua·si-pledge, verb, qua·si-pledged, qua·si-pledg·ing. re·pledge, verb (used with object), re·pledged, re·pledg·ing, noun un·pledged, adjective

Words nearby pledge

plecopteran, plectognath, plectron, plectrum, pled, pledge, pledge of allegiance, pledged delegate, pledgee, pledget, pledgor

Example sentences from the Web for pledge

“It is our Islamic obligation to pledge allegiance to the Islamic State and give it our Islamic fealty,” he said.

ISIS Targets Afghanistan Just as the U.S. Quits |Sami Yousafzai, Christopher Dickey |December 19, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
I pledge to conduct a full and fair investigation and to give the grand jury all of the information necessary to do its job.

New York's Next Killer-Cop Grand Jury |Jacob Siegel |December 6, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
And with new leadership in Washington we will stand together and pledge to listen to the American people.

In Texas, Cruz, Perry Crow Over GOP Rout |Tim Mak |November 5, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Voters fill out their name, address, phone number and sign a pledge that they will “commit to vote.”

The Democrats’ Simple Midterm Weapon |Ben Jacobs |November 4, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

Four years later, more than 125 billionaires took the pledge, including Zuckerberg.

How Does Zuckerberg’s Ebola Pledge Measure Up To Other Bigwig Donations? |Nina Strochlic |October 14, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Send to Harold mildly, and gently remind him of oath and of relics—of treaty and pledge.

Harold, Complete |Edward Bulwer-Lytton
On seeking re-election in York, he declined to give any pledge on the burning question of the Clergy Reserves and was defeated.

Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 3, Part 1, Slice 2 |Various
No; he breaks this one treasure in two, that both the poor things may have a silver token of love and a pledge of his return.

Love Me Little, Love Me Long |Charles Reade
The Mary-Anne societies are not strong enough for the situation—too local; he listens to them, but he has given no pledge.

Lothair |Benjamin Disraeli
I have had to pledge the last pearl of the chaplet, but I knew that Meg would redeem it.'

Stray Pearls |Charlotte M. Yonge

British Dictionary definitions for pledge

pledge

/ (plɛdʒ) /

noun

a formal or solemn promise or agreement, esp to do or refrain from doing something

collateral for the payment of a debt or the performance of an obligation
the condition of being collateral (esp in the phrase in pledge)

a sign, token, or indication the gift is a pledge of their sincerity

an assurance of support or goodwill, conveyed by drinking to a person, cause, etc; toast we drank a pledge to their success

a person who binds himself, as by becoming bail or surety for another

sign the pledge or take the pledge to make a vow to abstain from alcoholic drink

verb

to promise formally or solemnly he pledged allegiance

(tr) to bind or secure by or as if by a pledge they were pledged to secrecy

to give, deposit, or offer (one's word, freedom, property, etc) as a guarantee, as for the repayment of a loan

to drink a toast to (a person, cause, etc)

Derived forms of pledge

pledgable, adjective

Word Origin for pledge

C14: from Old French plege, from Late Latin plebium gage, security, from plebīre to pledge, of Germanic origin; compare Old High German pflegan to look after, care for

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

pledge

noun

verb (used with object), pledged, pledg·ing.

verb (used without object), pledged, pledg·ing.

Idioms for pledge

Origin of pledge

SYNONYMS FOR pledge

OTHER WORDS FROM pledge

Words nearby pledge

Example sentences from the Web for pledge

British Dictionary definitions for pledge

noun

verb

Derived forms of pledge

Word Origin for pledge

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

pledge

noun

verb (used with object), pledged, pledg·ing.

verb (used without object), pledged, pledg·ing.

Idioms for pledge

Origin of pledge

SYNONYMS FOR pledge

OTHER WORDS FROM pledge

Words nearby pledge

Words related to pledge

Example sentences from the Web for pledge

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for pledge

noun

verb

Derived forms of pledge

Word Origin for pledge

British Dictionary definitions for pledge