pledge

1 of 2

noun

ˈplej 

1

a

: a bailment of a chattel as security for a debt or other obligation without involving transfer of title

b

: the chattel so delivered

c

: the contract incidental to such a bailment

2

a

: the state of being held as a security or guaranty

b

: something given as security for the performance of an act

3

: a token, sign, or earnest of something else

4

: a gage of battle

5

: toast sense 2a

6

a

: a binding promise or agreement to do or forbear

b(1)

: a promise to join a fraternity, sorority, or secret society

(2)

: a person who has so promised

pledge

2 of 2

verb

pledged; pledging

transitive verb

1

: to make a pledge of

especially : pawn

2

: to drink to the health of

3

: to bind by a pledge

4

: to promise the performance of by a pledge

pledger

ˈple-jər 

noun

or pledgor

ˈple-jər 

ple-ˈjȯr

Synonyms

Noun

• gage
• guarantee
• guaranty
• pawn
• security

Verb

• commit
• engage
• mortgage
• troth

Example Sentences

Noun

He has promised to fulfill a campaign pledge to cut taxes.

To make a pledge or donation, please call the charity's office.

The company has made a pledge of over $3,000.

He left his car as a pledge that he would return with the money.

Verb

Her family pledged $100,000 toward the construction of a new school.

He called to pledge money to the charity.

Every morning, we pledge allegiance to the flag.

teenagers who have pledged not to start smoking

During his campaign, he pledged that he would not raise taxes.

The chefs are pledged to keep the restaurant's special recipe a secret.

He pledged his paintings as collateral for a loan.

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Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Powell, a Dallas Baptist pledge, gave up just three hits and struck out 12 batters. —Shawn Mcfarland, Dallas News, 19 Apr. 2023

Jonathan Curry: Another key issue that's come up with surrounding this is where things stand with the pledge. —Tax Notes Staff, Forbes, 18 Apr. 2023

As of April 3, 89 percent of members on tour had signed a strike pledge. —Caitlin Huston, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Apr. 2023

Hebron had loaded the bases three innings prior but couldn’t plate a run off of Plano starter Kyle Bade, an Oklahoma State pledge. —Shawn Mcfarland, Dallas News, 15 Apr. 2023

State auditors, the civilian review board, activists and others have sharply criticized Martinez for not fulfilling her pledge. —Jeff Mcdonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Apr. 2023

That law is projected to help the United States cut its emissions by 40 percent by 2030 — not quite enough to meet Mr. Biden’s pledge. —Coral Davenport, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2023

Last year’s 37 traffic deaths, which included one bike fatality, was San Francisco’s deadliest year since the city’s pledge. —Ricardo Cano, San Francisco Chronicle, 7 Apr. 2023

Thus far, over 30 venture capital firms backed the pledge, totaling over 120 signatures that represent over 13,500 portfolio companies as of Friday. —Alexa Mikhail, Fortune Well, 17 Mar. 2023

Verb

Governor Maura Healey, in a series of Twitter posts Friday and Saturday, pledged that mifepristone would remain available in the state. —John Hilliard, BostonGlobe.com, 8 Apr. 2023

At an evening rally, Jones and Pearson pledged to be back at the Capitol next week advocating for change. —Verne Kopytoff, Fortune, 7 Apr. 2023

Knight pledged the company would address abuses and allow outside monitors, and met some success in its endeavors to improve. —Noah Berlatsky, CNN, 7 Apr. 2023

Patients are indeed required to acknowledge a typical HIPAA privacy policy in order to be seen so that their physicians’ practices can use that data for internal operations or billing, for example. advertisement Related: Hospitals pledge to protect patient privacy. —Alex R. Rosenblat, STAT, 7 Apr. 2023

The Democrat, whose district includes the San Francisco Bay area, pledged to push for the Biden administration to act quickly on the state's request for federal aid. —Julie Watson And Lisa Baumann, ajc, 7 Apr. 2023

At an evening rally, Jones and Pearson pledged to be back at the Capitol next week advocating for change. —Kimberlee Kruesi And Jonathan Mattise, Anchorage Daily News, 7 Apr. 2023

North Carolina pledge Kennedy Fuller and sophomore Zoe Matthews, who have combined for 77 goals and 52 assists, are in France playing for the U.S. under-16 national team in the Mondial Montaigu international tournament that runs through Monday. —Greg Riddle, Dallas News, 6 Apr. 2023

Hours after the attack, the justice and education ministers pledged to invest in new violence-prevention efforts. —Laís Martins And Lucas Dumphreys, USA TODAY, 6 Apr. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English plegge, plege "surety for a person, guarantor," borrowed from Anglo-French (also continental Old & Middle French plege, pleige), going back to early Medieval Latin plebium, plevium, plibium, noun derivative (with the Latin deverbal suffix -ium) of plebere "to give surety," probably blend of Latin praebeō, praebēre "to put forward, offer, provide" and an Old Low Franconian verb *plegan- cognate with Old Saxon plegan "to accept responsibility (for)," Middle Dutch pleghen "to look after," Old High German pflegan "to look (after), bear responsibility, vouch (for)" — more at plight entry 2

Note: The verb plebere, attested in the Lex Romana Curiensis (eighth century), was vernacularized as Old French/Anglo-French plevir "to give as surety, promise, swear," with conjugation change probably after garantir "to protect, warrant" (see warrant entry 2) and garir "to support, protect, cure" (see garrison entry 1); compare replevin entry 1.

Verb

Middle English pleggen "to promise, stand surety for," in part derivative of plegge, plege pledge entry 1; in part borrowed from Anglo-French pleger "to guarantee as surety, act as surety," derivative of plege pledge entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

pledge

1 of 2 noun

ˈplej 

1

: the handing over of something to another to assure that the giver will keep his or her promise

also : the thing handed over

2

: the state of being held as a security

given in pledge

3

: something that is a token or sign of something else

the ring is a pledge of love

4

: toast entry 2 sense 3

5

: a promise or agreement that must be kept

pledge

2 of 2 verb

pledged; pledging

1

: to give as a pledge

2

: to drink to the health of : toast entry 3

3

: to obligate by a pledge

pledged myself to give $50

4

: to promise by a pledge

pledge money to charity

Legal Definition

pledge

1 of 2 noun

ˈplej 

1

: a delivery of especially personal property as security for a debt or other obligation

broadly : the perfection of a security interest in collateral through possession of the collateral by a creditor or other promisee

2

a

: property and especially personal property that is used as security especially upon delivery

broadly : a security interest in collateral compare chattel mortgage at mortgage

b

: a contract under which the delivery of property (as personal property) as security takes place

3

a

: the state of being held as security or guaranty

property held in pledge

b

: something given as security for the performance of an act

4

: a binding promise to do or forbear

pledge

2 of 2 transitive verb

pledged; pledging

1

: to deliver or otherwise put forward as security for a debt or other obligation

pledged his car as collateral for the loan

2

: to bind by a pledge

we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor

—Declaration of Independence

3

: to assure or promise the performance or payment of

pledgor

ˈple-jər, ple-ˈjȯr 

noun

or pledger

ˈple-jər