oath

American  

[ohth] / oʊθ /

noun

plural

oaths

1. a solemn appeal to a deity, or to some revered person or thing, to witness one's determination to speak the truth, to keep a promise, etc..

   to testify upon oath.

2. a statement or promise strengthened by such an appeal.

   Synonyms:

   pledge, vow

3. a formally affirmed statement or promise accepted as an equivalent of an appeal to a deity or to a revered person or thing; affirmation.

4. the form of words in which such a statement or promise is made.

5. an irreverent or blasphemous use of the name of God or anything sacred.

   Synonyms:

   profanity

6. any profane expression; curse; swear word.

   He slammed the door with a muttered oath.

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idioms

1. take an oath, to swear solemnly; vow.

oath British  

/ əʊθ /

noun

1. a solemn pronouncement to affirm the truth of a statement or to pledge a person to some course of action, often involving a sacred being or object as witness

2. the form of such a pronouncement

3. an irreverent or blasphemous expression, esp one involving the name of a deity; curse

4. 1. under the obligation of an oath

   2. law having sworn to tell the truth, usually with one's hand on the Bible

5. to declare formally with an oath or pledge, esp before giving evidence

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Etymology

Origin of oath

First recorded before 900; Middle English oth, Old English āth; cognate with Gothic aiths, Old Norse eidhr, German Eid

Example Sentences

“They negotiated in good faith. You did not. They told you under oath what they know, but you don’t care,” a spokesman for the Clintons said in a statement.

From Salon

Ghislaine Maxwell agreed last month to testify under oath before the congressional committee investigating the federal government's handling of the Epstein files.

From BBC

Should I tell him I’m horribly unsuited to sign such an oath?

From Literature

“I want to devote my entire life to military service,” the gangly teen told The Wall Street Journal last spring as he prepared to take his oath of service at a base in east Ukraine.

From The Wall Street Journal

The judge said hearsay evidence could be considered, but jurors should be "careful" as it had not been given under oath and should "not convict the defendant mainly in reliance on it."

From BBC

Related Words

• affidavit
• deposition
• pledge
• testimony
• vow