Definition of oath
oaths
play \ˈōthz, ˈōths\1a (1) : a solemn usually formal calling upon God or a god to witness to the truth of what one says or to witness that one sincerely intends to do what one says (2) : a solemn attestation of the truth or inviolability of one's words The witness took an oath to tell the truth in court.b : something (such as a promise) corroborated by an oath They were required to swear an oath of loyalty. took the oath of office
2 : an irreverent or careless use of a sacred name; broadly : swear word He uttered an oath and stormed away.
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Examples of oath in a Sentence
an oath to defend the nation
He uttered an oath and walked away.
Recent Examples of oath from the Web
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Police Chief Robert Regalbuto gave Kranig the oath of office and was touched by the emotional event.
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But two localist lawmakers who asserted that Hong Kong was not part of China in their oath-taking ceremony were quickly ousted from the legislature.
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That standard was not met in 1999, when most Republicans believed Bill Clinton’s lies under oath — clearly a criminal offense — justified removal, but most Democrats believed his misbehavior was irrelevant to his official conduct.
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One family and from one country': 97 new citizens take oath at naturalization ceremony Contact IndyStar reporter Andrew Clark at andrew.clark@indystar.com.
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In addition, historical society life member John Rajcic issued the oath of office to incoming officers and committee chairs.
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Do lawyers put the mayor, city attorney and every city councilmember under oath for questioning, along with their staffs?
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In 1990, Ivana Trump said under oath that her husband flew into a fit of rage due to the pain and displeasure with a scalp reduction surgery, performed in 1989.
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According to the website, Busbice was also cited earlier in 2016 for false oath for purchasing a resident general elk license as a nonresident and purchasing more than the authorized number of deer licenses.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'oath.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of oath
Middle English ooth, from Old English āth; akin to Old High German eid oath, Middle Irish oeth
OATH Defined for English Language Learners
oath
playDefinition of oath for English Language Learners
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: a formal and serious promise to tell the truth or to do something
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: an offensive or rude word that is used to express anger, frustration, surprise, etc.
OATH Defined for Kids
oath
playDefinition of oath for Students
oaths
\ˈōthz, ˈōths\1 : a solemn promise to tell the truth or do a specific thing
2 : an obscene or impolite word used to express anger or frustration
Medical Dictionary
Law Dictionary
oath
Legal Definition of oath
1 : a solemn attestation of the truth of one's words or the sincerity of one's intentions; specifically : one accompanied by calling upon a deity as a witness
2 : a promise (as to perform official duties faithfully) corroborated by an oath — compare perjury
under oath
: under a solemn and especially legal obligation to tell the truth (as when testifying)
Learn More about oath
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See words that rhyme with oath Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for oath Spanish Central: Translation of oath Nglish: Translation of oath for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of oath for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about oath
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