promissory note

American  

noun

promissory notes plural

1. a written promise to pay a specified sum of money to a designated person, or to the bearer of the note, at a fixed time or on demand.

2. a written promise to do or provide something, usually presented as a gift and claimable when or however the recipient chooses.

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promissory note British  

noun

1. Also called: note.   note of hand.  commerce a document, usually negotiable, containing a signed promise to pay a stated sum of money to a specified person at a designated date or on demand

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• promissory notes
  plural

Etymology

Origin of promissory note

First recorded in 1700–10

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

promissory note

Vance didn’t report a salary from his venture-capital firm, Narya Capital Management, but received a promissory note from the fund that earned him up to $1 million in income last year, according to his filing.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026

Martin Luther King Jr. famously talked about the Constitution as a promissory note that reflected the aspirations of this nation, not necessarily who this nation was at a given moment.

From Slate ● Jun. 17, 2026

Last week, 52% of the company was sold to media mogul Byron Allen for $120 million: $20 million in cash and the rest in the form of a promissory note due in five years.

From MarketWatch ● May 20, 2026

Keough’s lawsuit, which was reviewed by The Times, said Naussany Investments presented a deed of trust for Graceland and a standard promissory note to the estate via the Los Angeles County Superior Court in September.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 23, 2024

In a very small room, where burned a single jet of gas, Mr. Arden signed a promissory note for, £1,012 10s., for which Mr. Levi handed him cheques of his firm for £1,000.

From Checkmate by Le Fanu, Joseph Sheridan