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View synonyms for oath

oath

[ ohth ]

noun

, plural oaths [oh, th, z, ohths].
  1. a solemn appeal to a deity, or to some revered person or thing, to witness one's determination to speak the truth, to keep a promise, etc.:

    to testify upon oath.

  2. a statement or promise strengthened by such an appeal.

    Synonyms: pledge, vow

  3. a formally affirmed statement or promise accepted as an equivalent of an appeal to a deity or to a revered person or thing; affirmation.
  4. the form of words in which such a statement or promise is made.
  5. an irreverent or blasphemous use of the name of God or anything sacred.

    Synonyms: profanity

  6. any profane expression; curse; swear word:

    He slammed the door with a muttered oath.



oath

/ əʊθ /

noun

  1. a solemn pronouncement to affirm the truth of a statement or to pledge a person to some course of action, often involving a sacred being or object as witness juratory
  2. the form of such a pronouncement
  3. an irreverent or blasphemous expression, esp one involving the name of a deity; curse
  4. on oath
    on oathupon oathunder oath
    1. under the obligation of an oath
    2. law having sworn to tell the truth, usually with one's hand on the Bible
  5. take an oath
    take an oath to declare formally with an oath or pledge, esp before giving evidence


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Word History and Origins

Origin of oath1

First recorded before 900; Middle English oth, Old English āth; cognate with Gothic aiths, Old Norse eidhr, German Eid

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Word History and Origins

Origin of oath1

Old English āth; related to Old Saxon, Old Frisian ēth, Old High German eid

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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms
  1. take an oath, to swear solemnly; vow.

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Example Sentences

When our elected representatives assume their respective offices, they take an oath to “protect and defend the Constitution.”

This Oath Keeper was there for the protest, which had yet to materialize, and had a few friends joining him, he told me.

But given their anti-government rhetoric, the Oath Keepers' presence could inflame tensions further.

Repeating an embellished story before a grand jury while under oath is an entirely different matter.

The oath, according to the King James Bible, requires one to “do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.”

"Garnache," came the other's crisp, metallic voice, and the name had a sound as of an oath on his lips.

“Steed”—Jefferson rode on horseback to the Capitol to take his oath of office as President.

Then he held down a hand to her, bade her set her foot on his, and called with an oath to Rabecque to lend her his assistance.

Garnache's sword rasped out, an oath rattled from his clenched teeth, and he fell on guard.

Whatever was his motive, he persisted in his resolution, and to the end was faithful to his oath.

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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