PLEDGE

Pronunciation (US):

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does pledge mean? 

• PLEDGE (noun)
  The noun PLEDGE has 4 senses:

1. a deposit of personal property as security for a debt

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

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

4. a binding commitment to do or give or refrain from something

  Familiarity information: PLEDGE used as a noun is uncommon.

• PLEDGE (verb)
  The verb PLEDGE has 5 senses:

1. promise solemnly and formally

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

3. propose a toast to

4. give as a guarantee

5. bind or secure by a pledge

  Familiarity information: PLEDGE used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PLEDGE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A deposit of personal property as security for a debt

Classified under:

Nouns denoting possession and transfer of possession

Context example:

his saxophone was in pledge

Hypernyms ("pledge" is a kind of...):

security interest (any interest in a property that secures the payment of an obligation)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "pledge"):

pawn (an article deposited as security)

Derivation:

pledge (give as a guarantee)

Sense 2

Meaning:

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

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Hypernyms ("pledge" is a kind of...):

fellow member; member (one of the persons who compose a social group (especially individuals who have joined and participate in a group organization))

Sense 3

Meaning:

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

Classified under:

Nouns denoting foods and drinks

Synonyms:

pledge; toast

Hypernyms ("pledge" is a kind of...):

drink (a single serving of a beverage)

Derivation:

pledge (propose a toast to)

Sense 4

Meaning:

A binding commitment to do or give or refrain from something

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

assurance; pledge

Context example:

signed a pledge never to reveal the secret

Hypernyms ("pledge" is a kind of...):

commitment; dedication (a message that makes a pledge)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "pledge"):

guarantee; warrant; warrantee; warranty (a written assurance that some product or service will be provided or will meet certain specifications)

guarantee (an unconditional commitment that something will happen or that something is true)

plight; troth (a solemn pledge of fidelity)

vow (a solemn pledge (to oneself or to another or to a deity) to do something or to behave in a certain manner)

Derivation:

pledge (promise solemnly and formally)

pledge (bind or secure by a pledge)

• PLEDGE (verb)

Conjugation:

Sense 1

Meaning:

Promise solemnly and formally

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

pledge; plight

Context example:

I pledge that I will honor my wife

Hypernyms (to "pledge" is one way to...):

assure; promise (make a promise or commitment)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "pledge"):

vow (make a vow; promise)

guarantee; vouch (give surety or assume responsibility)

covenant (enter into a covenant or formal agreement)

covenant (enter into a covenant)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s that CLAUSE

Sentence example:

They pledge to move

Derivation:

pledge (a binding commitment to do or give or refrain from something)

pledger (someone who makes or gives a pledge)

Sense 2

Meaning:

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

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Synonyms:

pledge; subscribe

Context example:

I pledged $10 a month to my favorite radio station

Hypernyms (to "pledge" is one way to...):

donate (give to a charity or good cause)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

pledger (someone who makes or gives a pledge)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Propose a toast to

Classified under:

Verbs of eating and drinking

Synonyms:

drink; pledge; salute; toast; wassail

Context example:

Let's drink to the New Year

Hypernyms (to "pledge" is one way to...):

honor; honour; reward (bestow honor or rewards upon)

"Pledge" entails doing...:

booze; drink; fuddle; hit the bottle (consume alcohol)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "pledge"):

give (propose)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

pledge (a drink in honor of or to the health of a person or event)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Give as a guarantee

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Context example:

I pledge my honor

Hypernyms (to "pledge" is one way to...):

charge; consign (give over to another for care or safekeeping)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "pledge"):

collateralize (pledge as a collateral)

give (offer in good faith)

hypothecate (pledge without delivery or title of possession)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

pledge (a deposit of personal property as security for a debt)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Bind or secure by a pledge

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Context example:

I was pledged to silence

Hypernyms (to "pledge" is one way to...):

bind; hold; obligate; oblige (bind by an obligation; cause to be indebted)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody PP

Derivation:

pledge (a binding commitment to do or give or refrain from something)

 Context examples 

So then I promised to wait for him to the end of time and pledged myself not to marry anyone else while he lived.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I will pledge my life that whoever stole my papers could only have come through the door.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

“For we must attribute this happy conclusion,” she added, “in a great measure to his kindness. We are persuaded that he has pledged himself to assist Mr. Wickham with money.”

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

You may sleep without doubt. Strange and terrible as it is, it is true! I will pledge my life on it.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

My word being passed to myself, there is no longer any apprehension; but I pledge it to you, too, with the greatest readiness.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

By means of them he redeemed all his pledges, paid most of his bills, and bought a new set of tires for his wheel.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

I have your pledge that the name shall remain ever a secret, and that you will neither say nor write one word which might betray it.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I readily gave the pledge required.

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

It is not easy to express the joy I was in, upon the unexpected hope of once more seeing my beloved country, and the dear pledges I left in it.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

Could I have imagined when I entered that hall that I was about to pledge myself to a wilder adventure than had ever come to me in my dreams?

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)