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pledge

pledge

206 3.7
A serious promise to do or stop doing something
  • noun
  • /plɛdʒ/
translation icon : compromiso
  • The "Get Involved" section provides resources for taking a pledge to not text and drive.
  • make a pledge
  • sign a pledge
  • pledge to end

If pledges are fulfilled, the pledges for MDGs have not been fulfilled yet.

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Examples

  • Hence, he was able to secure a pledge of loyalty from key party officials and military leaders.

    Academic text (1992)
  • This is a pledge that I intend to keep.

  • Now this comes on top of a pledge to create more housing opportunities all round.

  • We know this and you have our pledge to partner with you in your process of becoming.

  • Let me propose that we all make a pledge, here, today.

  • Yet she and my father honored their pledge to adore and protect each other.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • Obama responded with a pledge "to promote reform across the region, and to support transitions to democracy."

    Academic text (2011)
  • She prefaced her Las Vegas rally with a pledge of support and a call for solidarity.

  • Over three hundred and fifty executives have signed a pledge to support diversity and inclusion.

  • This is a pledge that I intend to keep.

Synonyms

promise
vspledge
1.0

A statement by someone saying they will or will not do something

is similar yet carries a stronger solemn and binding tone
commitment
vspledge
829 3.3

A promise to support a person, cause, or plan

focuses more on a single solemn promise than ongoing dedication
word
vspledge
784 3.6

A promise that someone will do something

is more solemn and formal than a casual spoken assurance
oath
vspledge
  • Formal
385 3.6

A formal promise made in a serious or official situation

is more about a solemn personal commitment than legal ritual
guarantee
vspledge
  • Formal
293 2.7

A written promise that something will meet standards or happen

is less technical and more a solemn personal commitment
assurance
vspledge
103 3.4

A firm promise to do or not do something

leans more on solemn moral obligation than on general confidence
word of honor
vspledge
  • Formal
8 4.0

A serious promise to tell the truth or keep a secret

is equally solemn but can be used in broader formal contexts
affirmation
vspledge
  • Formal
4 6.1

A formal promise to tell the truth instead of taking an oath

is the same solemn intent but not limited to avoiding oaths
sacramentum
vspledge
  • Archaic
9.9

A serious promise soldiers make to the state or their commander

keeps the solemn promise sense but is not historically specific

Antonyms

renunciation
  • Formal
2 8.2

An official act of giving up a right, claim, or thing you own

disavowal
  • Formal
2 8.1

A public statement saying you have no knowledge of or connection to something

Compounds

A person who answers calls and records donations people promise to give during a fundraiser

How Solemn

oath
  • Formal
385 3.6
vow
  • Formal
279 3.4
pledge
206 3.7
promise
1.0

Surface Forms

pledge singular
pledges plural

Etymology

The word pledge comes from an old French word plege meaning 'promise' or 'guarantee', so to give a pledge is to give your word in a serious way. So a pledge today is a solemn promise or commitment.