? WHAT IS A PLEDGE ?

Etymology

From Middle English plege,

from Anglo-Norman plege,

from Old French plege (Modern French pleige)*

from Medieval Latin plevium, plebium, from plebiō (“I pledge”),

from Frankish *plehan (“to pledge; to support; to guarantee”).

Akin to

Old High German pflegan (“to take care of, be accustomed to”),

Old Saxon plegan (“to vouch for”),

Old English plēon* (“to risk, endanger”).

Verb

pledge (third-person singular simple present pledges, present participle pledging, simple past and past participle pledged)

1. To make a solemn promise (to do something).

pledge allegiance to the flag

2. To deposit something as a security; to pawn.
3. (transitive) To give assurance of friendship by the act of drinking; to drink to one's health.

Noun

pledge (plural pledges)

1. A solemn promise to do something. synonym ▲quotations ▼Synonym: commitment
   1. (with the) A promise to abstain from drinking alcohol.
2. An asset or person temporarily handed over to guarantee the fulfilment of something promised, under threat of permanent loss of the thing handed over; surety, security, hostage. quotations ▼
3. (law) A bailment of personal property to secure payment of a debt without transfer of title.
   1. The personal property so pledged, to be kept until the debt is paid. synonym ▲Synonym: collateral
4. (university slang) A person who has taken a pledge of allegiance to a college fraternity, but is not yet formally approved.

Derived terms

• antipledge, antipledging
• dead pledge
• frank-pledge
• negative pledge
• pledgeless
• purity pledge
• put in pledge
• safe pledge
• take the pledge
• virginity pledge