Pledge
noun, verb ·Common ·Middle school level
Definitions
- 1 A solemn promise to do something.
"Mr. Biden unveiled the pledge at a White House climate summit for world leaders, declaring that the United States is ready to reclaim a leadership role on climate change."
- 2 a binding commitment to do or give or refrain from something wordnet
- 3 A solemn promise to do something.; A promise to abstain from drinking alcohol.
- 4 a drink in honor of or to the health of a person or event wordnet
- 5 An asset or person temporarily handed over to guarantee the fulfilment of something promised, under threat of permanent loss of the thing handed over; surety, security, hostage.
"Iacke Straw. […] I haue his wife and children pledges, for his ſpeedie returne from the King, to whom he is gone with our meſſage. Tom Miller. Let him take heede hee bring a wiſe anſwere to our worships, or els his pledges goes to the pot."
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- 6 someone accepted for membership but not yet fully admitted to the group wordnet
- 7 A bailment of personal property to secure payment of a debt without transfer of title.
- 8 a deposit of personal property as security for a debt wordnet
- 9 A bailment of personal property to secure payment of a debt without transfer of title.; The personal property so pledged, to be kept until the debt is paid.
- 10 A person who has taken a pledge of allegiance to a college fraternity, but is not yet formally approved.
- 11 A drinking toast.
- 1 To make a solemn promise (to do something).
"pledge allegiance to the flag"
- 2 promise solemnly and formally wordnet
- 3 To deposit something as a security; to pawn.
- 4 bind or secure by a pledge wordnet
- 5 To give assurance of friendship by the act of drinking; to drink to one's health. transitive
"HARDCASTLE [Taking the cup.] I hope you'll find it to your mind. I have prepared it with my own hands, and I believe you'll own the ingredients are tolerable. Will you be so good as to pledge me, sir? Here, Mr. Marlow, here is to our better acquaintance. [Drinks.]"
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- 6 give as a guarantee wordnet
- 7 propose a toast to wordnet
- 8 pay (an amount of money) as a contribution to a charity or service, especially at regular intervals wordnet
Antonyms
All antonymsExample
More examples"I give my pledge that I will quit smoking."
Etymology
From Middle English plege, from Anglo-Norman plege, from Old French plege (Modern French pleige) from Medieval Latin plevium, plebium, from plebiō (“I pledge”), from Frankish *plehan (“to pledge; to support; to guarantee”). Akin to Old High German pflegan (“to take care of, be accustomed to”), Old Saxon plegan (“to vouch for”), Old English plēon (“to risk, endanger”). More at plight.