Pledges: meaning, definitions and examples

🤝

Add to dictionary

pledges

[plɛʤɪz ]

Definitions

^{Context #1 | Noun}

financial

A solemn promise or agreement to do or refrain from doing something.

Synonyms

commitment, promise, vow.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

Word	Description / Examples
promise	This word is used more generally and can apply to both formal and informal situations. It typically implies an assurance that something will happen or be done. It is also often used among friends and family. I promise to help you with your homework. The politician made a promise to lower taxes.
commitment	This is used in both personal and professional contexts to denote a strong sense of dedication or obligation towards an activity, goal, or person. It emphasizes long-term dedication. His commitment to the project is unquestionable. Marriage is a serious commitment between two people.
vow	Vow is often used in solemn or formal contexts, particularly in ceremonies and rituals like weddings. It implies a deep, personal commitment, usually with a moral or emotional significance. They exchanged vows during the wedding ceremony. He made a vow to always protect his family.

Word

Description / Examples

promise

This word is used more generally and can apply to both formal and informal situations. It typically implies an assurance that something will happen or be done. It is also often used among friends and family.

I promise to help you with your homework.
The politician made a promise to lower taxes.

commitment

This is used in both personal and professional contexts to denote a strong sense of dedication or obligation towards an activity, goal, or person. It emphasizes long-term dedication.

His commitment to the project is unquestionable.
Marriage is a serious commitment between two people.

vow

Vow is often used in solemn or formal contexts, particularly in ceremonies and rituals like weddings. It implies a deep, personal commitment, usually with a moral or emotional significance.

They exchanged vows during the wedding ceremony.
He made a vow to always protect his family.

Examples of usage

He made a pledge to donate money to the charity every month.
The company made a pledge to reduce its carbon footprint by 50% in the next year.

^{Context #2 | Noun}

education

A formal commitment by a fraternity or sorority to accept a person as a member.

Synonyms

acceptance, membership.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

Word	Description / Examples
pledges	Often used in situations where someone makes a serious promise or commitment, such as donating money, supporting a cause, or upholding a certain behavior or action. She made several pledges to donate to the charity. The company pledges to reduce its carbon footprint by 50% within five years.
acceptance	Used when talking about agreeing to receive or approve something, such as an idea, an invitation, an offer, or a person's differences. His acceptance of the job offer was received with much enthusiasm. Finding acceptance in a new community can be challenging.
membership	Refers to being part of a group, organization, or club. This term is used when someone officially joins and gains the rights and responsibilities of belonging to that group. She recently gained membership in the local sports club. Membership benefits include access to exclusive events and discounts.

Word

Description / Examples

pledges

Often used in situations where someone makes a serious promise or commitment, such as donating money, supporting a cause, or upholding a certain behavior or action.

She made several pledges to donate to the charity.
The company pledges to reduce its carbon footprint by 50% within five years.

acceptance

Used when talking about agreeing to receive or approve something, such as an idea, an invitation, an offer, or a person's differences.

His acceptance of the job offer was received with much enthusiasm.
Finding acceptance in a new community can be challenging.

membership

Refers to being part of a group, organization, or club. This term is used when someone officially joins and gains the rights and responsibilities of belonging to that group.

She recently gained membership in the local sports club.
Membership benefits include access to exclusive events and discounts.

Examples of usage

She accepted a pledge to join the sorority and participate in their activities.

^{Context #3 | Verb}

general

To commit oneself by a solemn promise.

Synonyms

commit, promise, vow.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

Word	Description / Examples
pledges	This word is often used in formal or semi-formal situations where someone is making a serious promise, often related to money, support, or other resources. The company pledges to donate five percent of its profits to charity each year During the ceremony, the new members made pledges to uphold the values of the organization
promise	This word is used in both formal and informal situations when someone assures another person that they will do something or that something will happen. I promise to clean my room after dinner She made a promise to her friend that they would meet every week
vow	This word is used in very serious situations, often with a religious or solemn undertone. It is common in wedding ceremonies and other significant life events. During the wedding, they vowed to love and cherish each other forever He took a vow never to lie again
commit	This word is used when someone promises to dedicate themselves to a cause, course of action, or relationship. It's often used in the context of time and effort. She decided to commit to daily exercise He is ready to commit to a long-term project

Examples of usage

He pledged to support his friend in times of need.
She pledged to work hard to achieve her goals.

Interesting Facts

Etymology

The word 'pledge' comes from the Old French 'plege' and the Latin 'plicare,' meaning 'to fold' – it often represents the binding nature of a promise.
The use of 'pledge' in English dates back to the 13th century, showcasing its long-standing importance in agreements.

Social Impact

Many charity organizations use pledges to raise funds, allowing donors to commit future payments to help causes they care about.
Pledge drives are common in educational institutions, encouraging students to make commitments toward improvement or participation in programs.

Psychology

Making a public pledge increases the likelihood of following through on commitments because it fosters accountability.
Studies show that when individuals publicly commitment to goals, they are more motivated to achieve them, indicating the psychological impact of pledges.

Cultural Practices

In many cultures, pledges are made during ceremonies like weddings or coming-of-age events, symbolizing important commitments.
Pledge of Allegiance, recited in schools in the USA, represents loyalty to the nation, showing how pledges can unify people.

Legal Context

In legal terms, a pledge can refer to a security interest in collateral, ensuring that a borrower fulfills their obligations.
The concept of pledges is also essential in contracts, often considered binding promises that hold legal weight.

Translations

Translations of the word "pledges" in other languages:

🇵🇹 promessas

🇮🇳 प्रतिज्ञाएँ

🇩🇪 Versprechen

🇮🇩 janji

🇺🇦 обіцянки

🇵🇱 obietnice

🇯🇵 誓約 (せいやく)

🇫🇷 promesses

🇪🇸 promesas

🇹🇷 sözler

🇰🇷 약속

🇸🇦 وعود

🇨🇿 sliby

🇸🇰 sľuby

🇨🇳 承诺 (chéngnuò)

🇸🇮 obljube

🇮🇸 loforð

🇰🇿 уәделер

🇬🇪 დაპირებები

🇦🇿 vədələr

🇲🇽 promesas

Word Frequency Rank

Ranked #12,223, this word falls into high-advanced vocabulary. It appears less frequently but is valuable for expressing precise meanings in specific contexts.

...
12220 assimilated
12221 meritorious
12222 remedied
12223 pledges
12224 remorse
12225 equatorial
12226 oceanic
...