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Pledge vs Oath - What's the difference?

pledge | oath |

Oath is a synonym of pledge.



As verbs the difference between pledge and oath

is that pledge is to make a solemn promise (to do something) while oath is to pledge.

As nouns the difference between pledge and oath

is that pledge is a solemn promise to do something while oath is a solemn pledge or promise to a god, king, or another person, to attest to the truth of a statement or contract.

pledge

English

(wikipedia pledge)

Verb

(pledg)
  • To make a solemn promise (to do something).
  • To deposit something as a security; to pawn.
  • To give assurance of friendship by the act of drinking; to drink to one's health.
  • * 1773 ,
  • HARDCASTLE [Taking the cup.] I hope you'll find it to your mind. I have prepared it with my own hands, and I believe you'll own the ingredients are tolerable. Will you be so good as to pledge me, sir? Here, Mr. Marlow, here is to our better acquaintance. [Drinks.]
  • * 1852 , Matthew Arnold, Tristram and Iseult
  • Reach me my golden cup that stands by thee,
    And pledge me in it first for courtesy.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A solemn promise to do something.
  • Something given by a person who is borrowing money etc to the person he has borrowed it from, to be kept until the money etc is returned.
  • A person who has taken a pledge of allegiance to a college fraternity, but not yet formally approved.
  • A security to guarantee payment of a debt.
  • A drinking toast.
  • A promise to abstain from drinking alcohol.
  • Synonyms

    * (l) * (l)

    Derived terms

    * (l) * (l)

    oath

    English

    (wikipedia oath)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A solemn pledge or promise to a god, king, or another person, to attest to the truth of a statement or contract
  • * 1924 , Aristotle, Metaphysics , Translated by W. D. Ross. Nashotah, Wisconsin, USA: The Classical Library, 2001. Available at: . Book 1, Part 3.
  • for they made Ocean and Tethys the parents of creation, and described the oath of the gods as being by water,
  • The affirmed statement or promise accepted as equivalent to an oath .
  • A light or insulting use of a solemn pledge or promise to a god, king or another person, to attest to the truth of a statement or contract the name of a deity in a profanity, as in swearing oaths .
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-14, author= Sam Leith
  • , volume=189, issue=1, page=37, magazine=(The Guardian Weekly) , title= Where the profound meets the profane , passage=Swearing doesn't just mean what we now understand by "dirty words". It is entwined, in social and linguistic history, with the other sort of swearing: vows and oaths'. Consider for a moment the origins of almost any word we have for bad language – "profanity", "curses", "' oaths " and "swearing" itself.}}
  • A curse.
  • (legal) An affirmation of the truth of a statement.
  • Synonyms

  • pledge, vow, avowal
  • Derived terms

    * oathbound * oathbreaker * oathless * under oath

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (archaic) to pledge
  • shouting out (as in 'oathing obsenities')
  • Anagrams

    * (l)