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pledge. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
pledge, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
pledge in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
pledge you have here. The definition of the word
pledge will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
pledge, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Etymology
From Middle English plege, from Anglo-Norman plege, from Old French plege (Modern French pleige) from Medieval Latin plevium, plebium, from plebiō (“I pledge”), from Frankish *plehan (“to pledge; to support; to guarantee”). Akin to Old High German pflegan (“to take care of, be accustomed to”), Old Saxon plegan (“to vouch for”), Old English plēon (“to risk, endanger”). More at plight.
Pronunciation
Verb
pledge (third-person singular simple present pledges, present participle pledging, simple past and past participle pledged)
- To make a solemn promise (to do something).
pledge allegiance to the flag
- To deposit something as a security; to pawn.
- (transitive) To give assurance of friendship by the act of drinking; to drink to one's health.
1773, Oliver Goldsmith, She Stoops to Conquer:HARDCASTLE [Taking the cup.] I hope you'll find it to your mind. I have prepared it with my own hands, and I believe you'll own the ingredients are tolerable. Will you be so good as to pledge me, sir? Here, Mr. Marlow, here is to our better acquaintance. [Drinks.]
1852, Matthew Arnold, Tristram and Iseult:Reach me my golden cup that stands by thee,
And pledge me in it first for courtesy.
Translations
to make a solemn promise
- Arabic: تَعَهَّدَ (taʕahhada)
- Bengali: ওয়াদা করা (ōẇada kora)
- Bulgarian: давам обет (davam obet)
- Catalan: prometre (ca)
- Chinese:
- Cantonese: 誓 (sai6)
- Hakka: 誓 (sṳ)
- Mandarin: 發誓/发誓 (zh) (fāshì), 保證/保证 (zh) (bǎozhèng)
- Dutch: plechtig beloven
- Esperanto: please add this translation if you can
- Finnish: luvata (fi), sitoutua (fi), lupautua
- French: promettre (fr)
- Galician: estocar, prometer (gl)
- German: zusichern (de), versprechen (de), geloben (de), zusagen (de)
- Hebrew: נִשְׁבַּע f (nishbá)
- Hungarian: ígér (hu), megígér (hu), esküszik (hu), szavát adja, elkötelezi magát
- Icelandic: sverja (is), lofa (is)
- Italian: promettere (it), impegnarsi (it)
- Japanese: 公約する (ja) (こうやくする, kōyaku suru), 保証する (ja) (ほしょうする, hoshō suru)
- Korean: 서약하다 (ko) (seoyakhada), 보증하다 (ko) (bojeunghada)
- Latin: spondere, vovere
- Malay: ikrar
- Maori: oati, whakaoati
- Occitan: prometre (oc), jurar (oc)
- Polish: obiecać (pl) impf
- Portuguese: prometer (pt)
- Romanian: promite (ro), garanta (ro), jura (ro)
- Russian: обеща́ть (ru) impf (obeščátʹ), пообеща́ть (ru) pf (poobeščátʹ), заверя́ть (ru) impf (zaverjátʹ), заве́рить (ru) pf (zavéritʹ), кля́сться (ru) impf (kljástʹsja), покля́сться (ru) pf (pokljástʹsja)
- Slovak: zástava f
- Slovene: zapriseči, zavezati se, zaobljubiti se
- Spanish: prometer (es), comprometerse (es)
- Tarifit: tjaǧit f
- Thai: ปฏิญาณ (th) (bpà-dtì-yaan)
- Turkish: ant içmek (tr) (pledge allegiance etc.), söz vermek (tr) (broader sense), yemin etmek (tr), yemin billlah etmek (colloquial)
- Vietnamese: cam kết (vi), thề (vi)
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to deposit something as a security; to pawn
- Bulgarian: залагам (bg) (zalagam)
- Catalan: penyorar (ca), empenyorar (ca)
- Chinese:
- Mandarin: 抵押 (zh) (dǐyā)
- Czech: zastavit (cs)
- Dutch: verpanden (nl)
- Finnish: pantata (fi)
- French: mettre en gage
- Galician: gravecer, engaxar, piñorar
- German: verpfänden (de)
- Hungarian: zálogba ad, elzálogosít (hu), biztosítékul, fedezetül ad
- Latgalian: aizlyka
- Latvian: ķīla
- Occitan: empenhar (oc)
- Polish: złożyć zastaw
- Portuguese: caucionar
- Russian: отдава́ть в зало́г impf (otdavátʹ v zalóg), отда́ть в зало́г pf (otdátʹ v zalóg), закла́дывать (ru) impf (zakládyvatʹ), заложи́ть (ru) pf (založítʹ)
- Slovene: zastaviti
- Spanish: hipotecar (es), empeñar (es), pignorar (es)
- Thai: จำนำ (th) (jam-nam)
- Turkish: ipotek ettirmek
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Noun
pledge (plural pledges)
- A solemn promise to do something.
- Synonym: commitment
2021 April 22, Brad Plumer, Nadja Popovich, “The U.S. Has a New Climate Goal. How Does It Stack Up Globally?”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:Mr. Biden unveiled the pledge at a White House climate summit for world leaders, declaring that the United States is ready to reclaim a leadership role on climate change.
- (with the) A promise to abstain from drinking alcohol.
- An asset or person temporarily handed over to guarantee the fulfilment of something promised, under threat of permanent loss of the thing handed over; surety, security, hostage.
1593, anonymous author, The Life and Death of Iacke Straw , Act I:Iacke Straw. […] I haue his wife and children pledges, for his ſpeedie returne from the King, to whom he is gone with our meſſage.
Tom Miller. Let him take heede hee bring a wiſe anſwere to our worships, or els his pledges goes to the pot.
- (law) A bailment of personal property to secure payment of a debt without transfer of title.
- The personal property so pledged, to be kept until the debt is paid.
- Synonym: collateral
- (university slang) A person who has taken a pledge of allegiance to a college fraternity, but is not yet formally approved.
- A drinking toast.
Derived terms
Translations
solemn promise
- Arabic: ضَمَان (ar) m (ḍamān), تَعَهُّد m (taʕahhud)
- Armenian: ուխտ (hy) (uxt)
- Aromanian: ligãmintu
- Belarusian: абяца́нне n (abjacánnje), заро́к m (zarók)
- Bengali: ওয়াদা (bn) (ōẇada)
- Bulgarian: обе́т (bg) m (obét), обеща́ние (bg) n (obeštánie)
- Catalan: promesa (ca) f, jurament (ca) m
- Chinese:
- Mandarin: 誓言 (zh) (shìyán), 誓詞/誓词 (zh) (shìcí), 保證/保证 (zh) (bǎozhèng)
- Czech: slib (cs) m
- Dutch: gelofte (nl) f, belofte (nl) f, eed (nl) m
- Esperanto: please add this translation if you can
- Finnish: lupaus (fi)
- French: serment (fr) m
- German: Gelöbnis (de) n
- Gothic: 𐍄𐍂𐌹𐌲𐌲𐍅𐌰 f (triggwa)
- Hungarian: fogadalom (hu), ígéret (hu), eskü (hu)
- Italian: promessa solenne f
- Japanese: 抵当 (ja) (ていとう, teitō), 保証 (ja) (ほしょう, hoshō)
- Korean: 서약(誓約) (ko) (seoyak), 맹세(盟誓) (ko) (maengse), 보증(保證) (ko) (bojeung)
- Kurdish:
- Central Kurdish: پەیمان (ckb) (peyman)
- Macedonian: ветување n (vetuvanje), заклетва f (zakletva)
- Malay: ikrar
- Malayalam: പ്രതിജ്ഞ (ml) (pratijña)
- Maori: takoha, kupu taurangi
- Occitan: promessa (oc) f, jurament (oc) m
- Polish: obietnica (pl) f
- Portuguese: promessa (pt) f
- Romanian: legământ (ro), promisiune (fermă) (ro), jurământ (ro)
- Russian: обе́т (ru) m (obét), обеща́ние (ru) n (obeščánije), заро́к (ru) m (zarók)
- Scottish Gaelic: gealltanas m
- Serbo-Croatian:
- Cyrillic: за̀лога f, за́вет m, за́вјет m, обећа́ње n, при̏сега f
- Roman: zàloga (sh) f, závet (sh) m, závjet (sh) m, obećánje n, prȉsega (sh) f
- Slovak: sľub m, prísaha f
- Slovene: zaprisega f, zaobljuba f, prisega (sl) f
- Spanish: promesa solemne f, compromiso (es) m
- Swedish: underpant (sv) c
- Telugu: ప్రతిజ్ఞ (te) (pratijña), ప్రతిన (te) (pratina)
- Turkish: ant (tr), söz (tr), yemin (tr)
- Ukrainian: обі́тниця f (obítnycja), обі́т m (obít), обіця́нка f (obicjánka), зарі́к m (zarík), заро́к m (zarók)
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delivery of personal property to secure the payment of a debt
person who has taken a pledge of allegiance to a fraternity
promise to abstain from drinking alcohol
See also