What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Promise vs Commitment - What's the difference?

promise | commitment | Synonyms |

Commitment is a synonym of promise.



As nouns the difference between promise and commitment

is that promise is an oath or affirmation; a vow while commitment is the act or an instance of committing, putting in charge, keeping, or trust, especially.

As a verb promise

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

promise

English

Alternative forms

* promyse

Noun

(en noun)
  • An oath or affirmation; a vow.
  • 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.
  • * 1668 July 3rd, , “Thomas Rue contra'' Andrew Hou?toun” in ''The Deci?ions of the Lords of Council & Se??ion I (Edinburgh, 1683), pages 547–548
  • He pur?ued Andrew Hou?toun upon his promi?e , to give him the like Sallary for the next year, and in ab?ence obtained him to be holden as confe?t and Decerned.
  • Reason to expect improvement or success; potential.
  • * Washington Irving
  • My native country was full of youthful promise .
  • * {{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham), chapter=1
  • , title=(The China Governess) citation , passage=The original family who had begun to build a palace to rival Nonesuch had died out before they had put up little more than the gateway, so that the actual structure which had come down to posterity retained the secret magic of a promise rather than the overpowering splendour of a great architectural achievement.}}
  • (computing, programming) A placeholder object that can be manipulated in code before it has been assigned a value.
  • (obsolete) Bestowal or fulfillment of what is promised.
  • * Bible, Acts i. 4
  • He commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father.

    Verb

    (promis)
  • To commit to something or action; to make an oath; make a vow.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-22, volume=407, issue=8841, page=70, magazine=(The Economist)
  • , title= Engineers of a different kind , passage=Private-equity nabobs bristle at being dubbed mere financiers.
  • To give grounds for expectation, especially of something good.
  • The clouds promise rain.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1897, author=
  • , title=(The Celebrity), chapter=1 citation , passage=I liked the man for his own sake, and even had he promised to turn out a celebrity it would have had no weight with me. I look upon notoriety with the same indifference as on the buttons on a man's shirt-front, or the crest on his note-paper.}}

    Usage notes

    * This is a catenative verb that takes the to infinitive . See

    Synonyms

    *

    See also

    * (election promise)

    Statistics

    *

    commitment

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • The act or an instance of committing, putting in charge, keeping, or trust, especially:
  • # The act of sending a legislative bill to committee for review.
  • # Official consignment sending a person to prison or a mental health institution
  • Promise or agreement to do something in the future, especially:
  • # Act of assuming a financial obligation at a future date
  • Being bound emotionally/intellectually to a course of action or to another person/other persons.
  • The trait of sincerity and focused purpose.
  • Perpetration, in a negative manner, as in a crime or mistake.
  • State of being pledged or engaged.
  • The act of being locked away, such as in an institution for the mentally ill or jail.
  • Synonyms

    * allegiance * charge * committal * consignment * dedication * devoir * duty * engagement * guarantee * loyalty * liability * must * need * obligation * ought * pledge * promise * responsibility * undertaking * vow * word