vow
/vaʊ
/noun
1A solemn promise.Who would have guessed someone so young could make such a solemn vow and keep it for over fifty years....
- It is one thing for adults to take vows and fulfil them, and quite another when a vow is taken in the name of a child.
- Kirkstall was founded as a result of a solemn vow made by Henry de Lacy of Pontefract Castle.
Synonyms
oath, pledge, promise, bond, covenant, commitment, avowal, profession, sworn statement, affirmation, attestation, assurance, word, word of honour, guarantee
archaic troth
rare asseveration, averment
1.1 (vows) A set of solemn promises committing one to a prescribed role, calling, or course of action, typically to marriage or a monastic career: the vows of celibacy...
- The bill would not force clergy opposed to same-sex marriage to solemnize the vows.
- I do not believe that civil union vows, or marriage vows for that matter, are only of symbolic value.
- He then discusses marriage vows, the history of divorce, and modern reinterpretations.
verb
1 [reporting verb] Solemnly promise to do a specified thing: [with infinitive]: the rebels vowed to continue fighting [with clause]: I vowed that my family would never go hungry [with direct speech]: ‘never again!’ he vowed...
- Campaigners have vowed to continue their fight to try to stop homes being built on part of a school site in Clacton.
- Furious families today vowed to fight developers for the fourth time to save their last piece of open space.
- Councillors have vowed to continue to reduce the number of homeless families in Southend.
Synonyms
swear, swear/state under oath, swear on the Bible, take an oath, pledge, promise, affirm, avow, undertake, give an undertaking, engage, commit, commit oneself, make a commitment, give one's word, give one's word of honour, give an assurance, guarantee;
Law depose, make a deposition, bind oneself
archaic plight, asseverate
2 [with object] archaic Dedicate to someone or something, especially a deity: I vowed myself to this enterprise
Origin
Middle English: from Old French vou, from Latin votum (see vote); the verb is from Old French vouer.
vote from Late Middle English:
Vote is from Latin votum ‘a vow, wish’, from vovere ‘to vow’. The verb dates from the mid 16th century. The word votive (late 16th century) meaning ‘offered in fulfilment of a vow’ is from votum as are vow (Middle English), devout (Middle English), and devotion (Middle English).