Synonyms

adjure

American

[uh-joor] / əˈdʒʊər /

verb (used with object)

to charge, bind, or command earnestly and solemnly, often under oath or the threat of a penalty.
to entreat or request earnestly or solemnly.

adjure British

/ əˈdʒʊə, ˌædʒʊəˈreɪʃən /

verb

to command, often by exacting an oath; charge
to appeal earnestly to

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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Past

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Etymology

Origin of adjure

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English word from Latin word adjūrāre. See ad-, jury ¹

Explanation

The verb adjure is a heavy-duty synonym of the word "ask," with more of a demanding tone. For example, you might have to adjure someone to tell the truth. You get a strong sense of the word adjure when you realize that the jure part is similar to "jury." Both come from the Latin jūrāre "swear," which in turn comes from jūs, jūr- "law" (as in justice and jurist). In 14th-century Middle English, the word suggested someone affirming something by swearing with an oath. So adjure means to command solemnly, as in "She adjured him to present the events precisely as he witnessed them."

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