pledge

[plej]

noun

1. a solemn promise or agreement to do or refrain from doing something.

   a pledge of aid;

   a pledge not to wage war.

2. 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.

   Synonyms: guaranty, surety, warranty

3. the state of being given or held as security.

   to put a thing in pledge.

4. Law.

   1. the act of delivering goods, property, etc., to another for security.

   2. the resulting legal relationship.

5. something given or regarded as a security.

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

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

8. Obsolete.

   1. a hostage.

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

verb (used with object)

pledged, pledging 

1. to bind by or as if by a pledge.

   to pledge hearers to secrecy.

2. to promise solemnly.

   to pledge one's support.

3. to give or deposit as a pledge; pawn.

4. to stake, as one's honor.

5. to secure by a pledge; give a pledge for.

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

7. to drink a health or toast to.

verb (used without object)

pledged, pledging 

1. to make or give a pledge.

   to pledge for someone.

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

pledge

/ plɛdʒ /

noun

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

2. 1. collateral for the payment of a debt or the performance of an obligation

   2. the condition of being collateral (esp in the phrase in pledge )

3. a sign, token, or indication

   the gift is a pledge of their sincerity

4. an assurance of support or goodwill, conveyed by drinking to a person, cause, etc; toast

   we drank a pledge to their success

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

6. to make a vow to abstain from alcoholic drink

verb

1. to promise formally or solemnly

   he pledged allegiance

2. (tr) to bind or secure by or as if by a pledge

   they were pledged to secrecy

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

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

Other Word Forms

• pledgeable adjective
• pledger noun
• pledgeless adjective
• interpledge verb (used with object)
• prepledge verb (used with object)
• quasi-pledge verb
• repledge verb (used with object)
• unpledged adjective
• pledgable adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of pledge¹

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English plege, from Anglo-French, from early Medieval Latin plebium, plevium, noun derivative of plebīre “to pledge,” from Germanic; compare Old English plēon “to risk,” German pflegen “to look after”; plight ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of pledge¹

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

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

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

Example Sentences

This year marks a decade since the landmark climate agreement was struck at COP21 in Paris, in which countries pledged to try to restrict the rise in global temperatures to 1.5C.

Read more on BBC

She wanted an apology from the company and a pledge from them to pay the influencers they work with, such as her, fairly, she said.

Read more on BBC

The new government, which took power last month, has pledged to tackle those issues.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The biggest gift was $6.5 million he pledged in 2003—while Summers was president—to establish the Program for Evolutionary Dynamics.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Argentina’s Finance Minister Luis Caputo has pledged to update investors on plans to build foreign exchange reserves by early December, they said.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• agreement 
• assurance 
• guarantee 
• oath 
• promise 
• vow 
• word