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

Miami +5 bet365 gives new users $200 in bonus bets for a $10 wager, win or lose. — Outkick, FOXNews.com, 7 Nov. 2026

But other courts that ruled against Kalshi found that at least some kinds of wagers on the prediction market are not swaps and that US law allows regulation of prediction markets by both state and federal governments. — Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica, 5 Nov. 2026

Verb

Interestingly, one major betting site, BetOnline, temporarily pulled its page allowing people to wager on the who will be cast as the next James Bond this week after the final auditions were expected to have taken place. — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 5 Nov. 2026

Sportsbook handle, or the total amount wagered, rose 13%, but sportsbook revenue grew just 4% as promotional spending increased. — Contessa Brewer, CNBC, 4 Nov. 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