vouchsafe

verb

vouch·​safe vau̇ch-ˈsāf  ˈvau̇ch-ˌsāf 

vouchsafed; vouchsafing

transitive verb

1

a

: to grant or furnish often in a gracious or condescending manner

b

: to give by way of reply

refused to vouchsafe an explanation

2

: to grant as a privilege or special favor

vouchsafement

vau̇ch-ˈsāf-mənt 

noun

Did you know?

Shakespeare fans are well acquainted with vouchsafe, which in its Middle English form vouchen sauf meant "to grant, consent, or deign." The word, which was borrowed with its present meaning from Anglo-French in the 14th century, pops up fairly frequently in the Bard's work—60 times, to be exact. "Vouchsafe me yet your picture for my love," beseeches Proteus of Silvia in The Two Gentlemen of Verona. "Vouchsafe me raiment, bed, and food," King Lear begs his daughter Regan. But you needn't turn to Shakespeare to find vouchsafe; today's writers still find it to be a perfectly useful word.

Choose the Right Synonym for vouchsafe

grant, concede, vouchsafe, accord, award mean to give as a favor or a right.

grant implies giving to a claimant or petitioner something that could be withheld.

granted them a new hearing

concede implies yielding something reluctantly in response to a rightful or compelling claim.

even her critics concede she can be charming

vouchsafe implies granting something as a courtesy or an act of gracious condescension.

vouchsafed the secret to only a few chosen disciples

accord implies giving to another what is due or proper.

accorded all the honors befitting a head of state

award implies giving what is deserved or merited usually after a careful weighing of pertinent factors.

awarded the company a huge defense contract

Examples of vouchsafe in a Sentence

He vouchsafed the secret to only a few chosen disciples.

Recent Examples on the Web

Democracy is a fragile achievement, a perpetual work in progress, not the sort of thing that can be vouchsafed by a trend line — and certainly not the sort of thing that technology automatically generates. —Becca Rothfeld, Washington Post, 26 June 2024

That’s why Phony Wars speaks to us in codes, an artist vouchsafing his feelings and intentions. —Armond White, National Review, 29 Sep. 2023

Constitutionally speaking, the main reason for having federal law enforcement is to vouchsafe interstate and international commerce. —The Editors, National Review, 20 Jan. 2022

Consider a test-tube example, almost ordered up to make the court’s case for it, vouchsafed by California just a few weeks ago. —Holman W. Jenkins, WSJ, 6 July 2018

Word History

Etymology

Middle English vouchen sauf to grant, consent, deign, from Anglo-French voucher salf

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for vouchsafe

• unsafe
• chafe
• safe
• waif

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Kids Definition

vouchsafe

verb

vouch·​safe vau̇ch-ˈsāf  ˈvau̇ch-ˌsāf 

vouchsafed; vouchsafing

: to grant as a special favor