avow

English

Etymology

From Middle English avowen, from Old French avouer, from Latin advocare (“to call to, call upon, hence to call as a witness, defender, patron, or advocate”), from ad (“to”) + vocare (“to call”). Doublet of advoke, avouch, and advocate. Not related to vow.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /əˈvaʊ/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aʊ

Verb

avow (third-person singular simple present avows, present participle avowing, simple past and past participle avowed)

1. (transitive) To declare openly and boldly, as something believed to be right; to own, acknowledge or confess frankly.
   • 1858, Henry Stephens Randall, The Life of Thomas Jefferson, volume 1, page 461:

     […] in 1786, and for some period later, there were few, if any, prominent Americans, who avowed themselves in favor of broadly democratic systems.

2. (transitive) To bind or devote by a vow.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Wyclif to this entry?)

3. (law) To acknowledge and justify, as an act done. See avowry.
   • 1765–1769, William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England, (please specify |book=I to IV), Oxford, Oxfordshire: Clarendon Press, →OCLC:

     avow himself the accomplice of his crimes

Antonyms

• disavow

Related terms

Translations

Noun

avow

1. (obsolete) avowal
   • 1697, Virgil, “The Twelfth Book of the Æneis”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. , London: Jacob Tonson, , →OCLC:

     without thy Knowledge and Avow

Further reading

• “avow”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “avow”, in The Century Dictionary , New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
• “avow”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.