plural wagers
1
: an agreement in which people try to guess what will happen and the person who guesses wrong has to give something (such as money) to the person who guesses right : bet
He has a wager on the game.
a friendly wager
2
: the money or other valuable thing that you could win or lose in a bet
I don't think the horse will win. What's your wager?
I placed/made a wager on the horse. [=I bet money on the horse]
wagers; wagered; wagering
1
: to risk losing something (such as money) if your guess about what will happen is wrong : bet
She wagered $50 on the game.
I wouldn't wager against them.
2
informal
—used in the phrase I'll wager to indicate what you think will happen or what you believe is probably true
He'll get promoted, I'll wager. [=I believe]
I'll wager that most people have never heard of him.
Cite this Entry
“Wager.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/wager. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.
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