oath

noun \ ˈōth \

Updated on: 18 May 2018

Definition of oath

plural oaths play \ˈōt͟hz, ˈōths\

1 a (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.

See oath defined for English-language learners

See oath defined for kids

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

Putting details of the Trump-Cohen relationship in the public domain might be an attempt to reduce the likelihood that Trump perjures himself if he is asked about his fixer while under oath.

— jay willis, GQ, "What the Hell Is Rudy Giuliani Doing?," 3 May 2018
State District Judge Billy Burris administered the oath of office to Revere, a Republican, on Tuesday (April 3).

— robert rhoden, NOLA.com, "Casey Revere returns to his old JP seat in western St. Tammany," 5 Apr. 2018
Nielsen described Trump's tone at the meeting on immigration policy while testifying under oath to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday morning.

— the washington post, AL.com, "Homeland Security Secretary denies Trump said 'shithole'," 16 Jan. 2018
An Alameda County Superior Court judge has found that Oakland City Councilwoman Desley Brooks repeatedly lied under oath.

— kimberly veklerov, San Francisco Chronicle, "Judge says Oakland Councilwoman Desley Brooks lied under oath ‘many times’," 27 Apr. 2018
Several outlets have chronicled the false or dubious statements Diamond and Silk made under oath during the hearing.

— adi robertson, The Verge, "Congress’ social media censorship hearing was a complete disaster," 26 Apr. 2018
The referral to the DC US attorney’s office occurred some time ago, after the inspector general concluded McCabe had lied to investigators or his own boss, then-FBI Director James Comey, on four occasions, three of them under oath.

— BostonGlobe.com, "Inspector general referred findings on McCabe to US attorney for consideration of criminal charges," 20 Apr. 2018
If the lawsuit proceeds, the president and his campaign aides could be forced to disclose documents and submit to depositions that require them to answer questions under oath.

— alexander burns, The Seattle Times, "Democratic Party alleges Trump campaign-Russia conspiracy in new lawsuit," 20 Apr. 2018
The referral to the D.C. U.S. Attorney's Office occurred some time ago, after the inspector general concluded McCabe had lied to investigators or his own boss, then-FBI Director James Comey, on four occasions, three of them under oath.

— the washington post, OregonLive.com, "Inspector general referred findings on McCabe to US attorney for consideration of criminal charges," 19 Apr. 2018

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

See Words from the same year

oath Synonyms

Synonyms

pledge, promise, troth, vow, word;

agreement, compact, contract, covenant;

assurance, guarantee, guaranty, undertaking;

bail, bond, deposit, gage, pawn, security, token, warranty;

OATH Defined for English Language Learners

oath

noun

Definition of oath for English Language Learners

: a formal and serious promise to tell the truth or to do something
: an offensive or rude word that is used to express anger, frustration, surprise, etc.

OATH Defined for Kids

oath

noun \ ˈōth \

Definition of oath for Students

plural oaths \ˈōt͟hz, 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

oath

medical Definition of oath

— see hippocratic oath

Law Dictionary

oath

noun

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)