oath

American  

[ohth] / oʊθ /

noun

• oaths
  plural

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.

---

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

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• oaths
  plural

Etymology

Origin of oath

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

Explanation

An oath is a promise. If you want to borrow your brother's car, you may have to swear a solemn oath that you will bring it back unharmed. An oath is a solemn promise, sometimes made in front of a witness, or a vow in a court of law that you will tell the absolute truth. No matter what the circumstances are, swearing an oath is serious business. That's why it's odd that an oath can also be an angry outburst of obscene words. Your brother might mutter an oath under his breath and clench his fists angrily if you return his car to him with a broken side mirror.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

oath oaths

That interpretation suggests Alexander may not simply have been criticizing Harold for allegedly breaking an oath.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 11, 2026

Several of the publication's journalists were summoned to testify under oath in response.

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026

Jane Brownstone told jurors that Halem had broken the oath he took as a officer to protect and serve the public.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026

Not every U.S. senator makes history just by taking the oath of office.

From Slate ● Jul. 24, 2026

They swore on their weapons, and they swore on Draupnir, Odin’s golden arm-ring, and they swore on Gungnir, Odin’s spear, and an oath sworn on Gungnir was unbreakable.

From "Norse Mythology" by Neil Gaiman

Members of the military swear oaths to the Constitution, not to the president or other officials in the chain of command.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 24, 2025

That’s not the United States you and I took oaths to defend.

From Slate ● Nov. 24, 2025

We know what’s at stake, and I believe that judges will always honor their oaths.

From Salon ● Jul. 27, 2025

On Friday, the territory announced that they have adjusted the law to give the option of taking one of the two oaths.

From BBC ● Nov. 29, 2024

“Whatever has gotten into you, Aunt Kitty? I’ve never heard you utter oaths like that. Is something wrong?”

From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan

Related Words

• affidavit
• deposition
• pledge
• testimony
• vow