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

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

In other words, the type of wager that Porter and his associates tried to exploit is a distinct byproduct of the legal-online-betting era. —Danny Funt, New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2025

Multiple people placed high-stakes wagers on Rozier to perform poorly before the game, all of whom won. —Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 28 Oct. 2025

Verb

In particular, the review will focus on proposition bets offered by legal online sports bookies, which allow gamblers to wager on the statistical performance of individual players, according to a memo from the NBA to its teams, which CNBC obtained. —Jessica Golden,dan Mangan, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2025

This time around, Democrats are wagering that the unpopularity of the Department of Government Efficiency cuts, coupled with the ongoing shutdown woes, will boost turnout in Spanberger's favor. —Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 26 Oct. 2025

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