Princeton's WordNet(3.33 / 3 votes)Rate this definition:

1. promise(noun)

   a verbal commitment by one person to another agreeing to do (or not to do) something in the future

2. promise, hope(verb)

   grounds for feeling hopeful about the future

   "there is little or no promise that he will recover"

3. promise, assure(verb)

   make a promise or commitment

4. promise(verb)

   promise to undertake or give

   "I promise you my best effort"

5. predict, foretell, prognosticate, call, forebode, anticipate, promise(verb)

   make a prediction about; tell in advance

   "Call the outcome of an election"

6. promise(verb)

   give grounds for expectations

   "The new results were promising"; "The results promised fame and glory"

Wiktionary(5.00 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:

1. promise(Noun)

   An oath or affirmation; a vow.

2. promise(Noun)

   A transaction between two persons whereby the first person undertakes in the future to render some service or gift to the second person or devotes something valuable now and here to his use.

3. promise(Verb)

   to commit to something or action; to make an oath; make a vow.

Webster Dictionary(5.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Promise(adj)

   in general, a declaration, written or verbal, made by one person to another, which binds the person who makes it to do, or to forbear to do, a specified act; a declaration which gives to the person to whom it is made a right to expect or to claim the performance or forbearance of a specified act

2. Promise(adj)

   an engagement by one person to another, either in words or in writing, but properly not under seal, for the performance or nonperformance of some particular thing. The word promise is used to denote the mere engagement of a person, without regard to the consideration for it, or the corresponding duty of the party to whom it is made

3. Promise(adj)

   that which causes hope, expectation, or assurance; especially, that which affords expectation of future distinction; as, a youth of great promise

4. Promise(adj)

   bestowal, fulfillment, or grant of what is promised

5. Promise(verb)

   to engage to do, give, make, or to refrain from doing, giving, or making, or the like; to covenant; to engage; as, to promise a visit; to promise a cessation of hostilities; to promise the payment of money

6. Promise(verb)

   to afford reason to expect; to cause hope or assurance of; as, the clouds promise rain

7. Promise(verb)

   to make declaration of or give assurance of, as some benefit to be conferred; to pledge or engage to bestow; as, the proprietors promised large tracts of land; the city promised a reward

8. Promise(verb)

   to give assurance by a promise, or binding declaration

9. Promise(verb)

   to afford hopes or expectation; to give ground to expect good; rarely, to give reason to expect evil

Origin: [F. promesse, L. promissum, fr. promittere, promissum, to put forth, foretell, promise; pro forward, for + mittere to send. See Mission. ]

Freebase(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Promise

   A promise is a commitment by someone to do or not do something. As a noun promise means a declaration assuring that one will or will not do something. As a verb it means to commit oneself by a promise to do or give. It can also mean a capacity for good, similar to a value that is to be realized in the near future. In the law of contract, an exchange of promises is usually held to be legally enforceable, according to the Latin maxim pacta sunt servanda.

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

1. Promise

   prom′is, n. an engagement made by a person either verbally or in writing to do or keep from doing something: expectation or that which causes expectation: a ground for hope of future excellence: (rare) fulfilment of what is promised.—v.t. to make an engagement to do or not to do something: to afford reason to expect: to assure: to engage to bestow.—v.i. to assure one by a promise: to afford hopes or expectations: (rare) to stand sponsor.—ns. Prom′ise-breach (Shak.), violation of promise; Prom′ise-break′er (Shak.), a violator of promises.—adj. Prom′ise-crammed (Shak.), crammed or filled with promises.—ns. Promisēē′, the person to whom a promise is made; Prom′iser, Prom′isor.—adj. Prom′ising, affording ground for hope or expectation: likely to turn out well.—advs. Prom′isingly; Prom′issorily.—adj. Prom′issory, containing a promise of some engagement to be fulfilled.—n. Prom′issory-note, a note by one person promising to pay a sum of money to another, or to bearer, at a certain date, or at sight, or on demand.—Promised land, the land promised by God to Abraham and his seed: Canaan: heaven.—Be promised (rare), to have an engagement; Breach of promise (see Breach); Conditional promise, a promise of which the obligation depends on certain conditions—opp. to Absolute promise; Express promise, a promise expressed orally or in writing; The Promise, the assurance of God to Abraham that his descendants should become the chosen people. [Fr. promesse—L. promissa, promittĕre, to send forward—pro, forward, mittĕre, to send.]

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'promise' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #3847

2. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'promise' in Written Corpus Frequency: #4171

3. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'promise' in Nouns Frequency: #1255

4. Verbs Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'promise' in Verbs Frequency: #321

Anagrams for promise »

1. imposer, semipro

2. Semipro

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of promise in Chaldean Numerology is: 3

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of promise in Pythagorean Numerology is: 5

Sample Sentences & Example Usage

1. Mother Teresa:

   Life is a promise fulfill it.

2. Bo Xilai:

   This place is full of promise.

3. The CSS Pee Dee:

   It never fulfilled its promise.

4. Brigitte Macron:

   I ca n’t promise you anything.

5. Robert W. Service:

   A promise made is a debt unpaid.

Images & Illustrations of promise

Popularity rank by frequency of use