wager

1 of 2

noun

wa·​ger ˈwā-jər 

1

a

: something (such as a sum of money) risked on an uncertain event : stake

b

: something on which bets are laid : gamble

do a stunt as a wager

2

archaic : an act of giving a pledge to take and abide by the result of some action

wager

2 of 2

verb

wagered; wagering

ˈwāj-riŋ, 

ˈwā-jə- 

intransitive verb

: to make a bet

transitive verb

: to risk or venture on a final outcome

specifically : to lay as a gamble : bet

wager $5 on a horse

wagerer

ˈwā-jər-ər 

noun

Synonyms of wager

Noun

• stake
• bet

Verb

• bet
• put

Examples of wager in a Sentence

Noun

He has a wager on the game.

I don't think the horse will win. What's your wager?

Verb

She wagered $50 on the game.

I wouldn't wager against them.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

About 185 million SpaceX shares are now sold short, representing roughly 29% of the company’s publicly tradable float and about $25 billion in bearish wagers, according to S3 Partners. — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 17 July 2026

Notably, contract certification filings with the CFTC for FanDuel Predicts to facilitate sports wagers with CME have been submitted by CME, on CME letterhead signed by CME employees. — Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 14 July 2026

Verb

France is +156 to win in regulation, meaning a bettor could wager $100 to profit $156 if Les Bleus prevail in the first 90 minutes. — Jim Barnes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 July 2026

The gist of the case is that live, rapid and in-play wagering options known as microbetting constitute design defects. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 14 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English wageour pledge, bet, from Anglo-French wageure, from *wager

First Known Use

Noun

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

Verb

1602, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Phrases Containing wager

• place/make a wager

Rhymes for wager

• ager
• gauger
• pager
• stager
• yager
• teenager

Kids Definition

wager

1 of 2 noun

wa·​ger ˈwā-jər 

1

: something (as a sum of money) risked on an uncertain event : bet

2

: something (as the outcome of a game or race) on which a bet is made

: gamble

wager

2 of 2 verb

wagered; wagering ˈwāj-(ə-)riŋ 

: to bet on the outcome of a contest or question

wagerer

ˈwā-jər-ər 

noun