Definitions for pledge
plɛdʒpledge

Princeton's WordNet(3.67 / 3 votes)Rate this definition:

1. pledge(noun)

   a deposit of personal property as security for a debt

   "his saxophone was in pledge"

2. pledge(noun)

   someone accepted for membership but not yet fully admitted to the group

3. pledge, toast(noun)

   a drink in honor of or to the health of a person or event

4. assurance, pledge(verb)

   a binding commitment to do or give or refrain from something

   "an assurance of help when needed"; "signed a pledge never to reveal the secret"

5. pledge, plight(verb)

   promise solemnly and formally

   "I pledge that I will honor my wife"

6. pledge, subscribe(verb)

   pay (an amount of money) as a contribution to a charity or service, especially at regular intervals

   "I pledged $10 a month to my favorite radio station"

7. toast, drink, pledge, salute, wassail(verb)

   propose a toast to

   "Let us toast the birthday girl!"; "Let's drink to the New Year"

8. pledge(verb)

   give as a guarantee

   "I pledge my honor"

9. pledge(verb)

   bind or secure by a pledge

   "I was pledged to silence"

Wiktionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. pledge(Noun)

   A solemn promise to do something.

   Etymology: From plege, from plege, from plege (Modern pleige) from plevium, plebium, from plebire "to pledge", of origin, from *, from plegō, from dlegh-. Akin to pflegan, plegan, pleon. More at plight.

2. pledge(Noun)

   A person who has taken a pledge of allegiance to a college fraternity, but not yet formally approved.

   Etymology: From plege, from plege, from plege (Modern pleige) from plevium, plebium, from plebire "to pledge", of origin, from *, from plegō, from dlegh-. Akin to pflegan, plegan, pleon. More at plight.

3. pledge(Noun)

   A security to guarantee payment of a debt.

   Etymology: From plege, from plege, from plege (Modern pleige) from plevium, plebium, from plebire "to pledge", of origin, from *, from plegō, from dlegh-. Akin to pflegan, plegan, pleon. More at plight.

4. pledge(Noun)

   A drinking toast.

   Etymology: From plege, from plege, from plege (Modern pleige) from plevium, plebium, from plebire "to pledge", of origin, from *, from plegō, from dlegh-. Akin to pflegan, plegan, pleon. More at plight.

5. pledge(Noun)

   (the pledge): A promise to abstain from drinking alcohol.

   Etymology: From plege, from plege, from plege (Modern pleige) from plevium, plebium, from plebire "to pledge", of origin, from *, from plegō, from dlegh-. Akin to pflegan, plegan, pleon. More at plight.

6. pledge(Verb)

   To make a solemn promise (to do something).

   Etymology: From plege, from plege, from plege (Modern pleige) from plevium, plebium, from plebire "to pledge", of origin, from *, from plegō, from dlegh-. Akin to pflegan, plegan, pleon. More at plight.

7. pledge(Verb)

   To deposit something as a security; to pawn.

   Etymology: From plege, from plege, from plege (Modern pleige) from plevium, plebium, from plebire "to pledge", of origin, from *, from plegō, from dlegh-. Akin to pflegan, plegan, pleon. More at plight.

Webster Dictionary(4.00 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Pledge(noun)

   the transfer of possession of personal property from a debtor to a creditor as security for a debt or engagement; also, the contract created between the debtor and creditor by a thing being so delivered or deposited, forming a species of bailment; also, that which is so delivered or deposited; something put in pawn

   Etymology: [Cf. OF. pleiger to give security. See Pledge, n.]

2. Pledge(noun)

   a person who undertook, or became responsible, for another; a bail; a surety; a hostage

   Etymology: [Cf. OF. pleiger to give security. See Pledge, n.]

3. Pledge(noun)

   a hypothecation without transfer of possession

   Etymology: [Cf. OF. pleiger to give security. See Pledge, n.]

4. Pledge(noun)

   anything given or considered as a security for the performance of an act; a guarantee; as, mutual interest is the best pledge for the performance of treaties

   Etymology: [Cf. OF. pleiger to give security. See Pledge, n.]

5. Pledge(noun)

   a promise or agreement by which one binds one's self to do, or to refrain from doing, something; especially, a solemn promise in writing to refrain from using intoxicating liquors or the like; as, to sign the pledge; the mayor had made no pledges

   Etymology: [Cf. OF. pleiger to give security. See Pledge, n.]

6. Pledge(noun)

   a sentiment to which assent is given by drinking one's health; a toast; a health

   Etymology: [Cf. OF. pleiger to give security. See Pledge, n.]

7. Pledge(noun)

   to deposit, as a chattel, in pledge or pawn; to leave in possession of another as security; as, to pledge one's watch

   Etymology: [Cf. OF. pleiger to give security. See Pledge, n.]

8. Pledge(noun)

   to give or pass as a security; to guarantee; to engage; to plight; as, to pledge one's word and honor

   Etymology: [Cf. OF. pleiger to give security. See Pledge, n.]

9. Pledge(noun)

   to secure performance of, as by a pledge

   Etymology: [Cf. OF. pleiger to give security. See Pledge, n.]

10. Pledge(noun)

    to bind or engage by promise or declaration; to engage solemnly; as, to pledge one's self

    Etymology: [Cf. OF. pleiger to give security. See Pledge, n.]

11. Pledge(noun)

    to invite another to drink, by drinking of the cup first, and then handing it to him, as a pledge of good will; hence, to drink the health of; to toast

    Etymology: [Cf. OF. pleiger to give security. See Pledge, n.]

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Pledge

   plej, n. something given as a security: one who becomes surety for another: a sentiment of goodwill or friendship expressed by drinking together.—v.t. to give as security: to engage for by promise: to invite to drink by partaking of the cup first: to drink to the health of.—ns. Pledgee′, the person to whom a thing is pledged; Pledg′er.—Pledge card, a card given, as a remembrancer, to a person who has signed the total abstinence pledge; Pledge cup, a cup for drinking pledges.—Hold in pledge, to keep as security; Put in pledge, to pawn; Take, or Sign, the pledge, to give a written promise to abstain from intoxicating liquor. [O. Fr. plege (Fr. pleige); prob. L. præbēre, to afford.]

British National Corpus

1. Verbs Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'pledge' in Verbs Frequency: #1080

How to pronounce pledge?

1. 

   Alex

   US English

   

   Daniel

   British

   

   Karen

   Australian

   

   Veena

   Indian

How to say pledge in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of pledge in Chaldean Numerology is: 1

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of pledge in Pythagorean Numerology is: 4

Examples of pledge in a Sentence

1. Bill Shorten:

   Australians have made it clear, with the representatives they have selected, that they expect us to work together, i pledge, and I have indicated to Mr Turnbull, that where there is common ground, we work very hard to accomplish it.

2. Donald Trump on Thursday:

   I will not make the pledge at this time.

3. Charles Koch:

   We talk here about dollars and raising money and they are absolutely critical to getting this done, but they alone will not do the job. We know this from the successful movements in our country's history. It took the full commitment from the founding fathers, Frederick Douglass, Susan B. Anthony, Martin Luther King, Jr., and the thousands of others who led successful movements. To defy the odds stacked against them, these leaders had to pledge their lives, fortunes and their sacred honor -- often at great personal sacrifice.

4. Jonathan Silver:

   It could potentially be quite serious because if a company has to provide cash (to top up collateral), it will affect liquidity, and if it has to pledge more assets, that lessens your ability to borrow more money, it will potentially limit their ability to expand.

5. Donald Trump:

   I want to win as a Republican, I want to run as the Republican nominee, i will not make the pledge at this time.

Images & Illustrations of pledge

Popularity rank by frequency of use