promise

n.

1. 1. A declaration assuring that one will or will not do something; a vow.
   2. Something promised.
2. Indication of something favorable to come; expectation: a promise of spring in the air.
3. Indication of future excellence or success: a player of great promise.

v., -ised, -is·ing, -is·es.

v.tr.

1. To commit oneself by a promise to do or give; pledge: left but promised to return.
2. To afford a basis for expecting: thunderclouds that promise rain.

v.intr.

1. To make a declaration assuring that something will or will not be done.
2. To afford a basis for expectation: an enterprise that promises well.

[Middle English promis, from Old French promise, from Medieval Latin prōmissa, alteration of Latin prōmissum, from neuter past participle of prōmittere, to send forth, promise : prō-, forth; see pro–¹ + mittere, to send.]

promiser prom'is·er n.

SYNONYMS  promise, pledge, swear, vow. These verbs mean to declare solemnly that one will follow a particular course of action: promises to write soon; pledged to uphold the law; swore to get revenge; vowed to fight to the finish.

noun

A declaration that one will or will not do a certain thing: assurance, covenant, engagement, guarantee, guaranty, pledge, plight², solemn word, vow, warrant, word, word of honor. See obligation.

verb

1. To assume an obligation: contract, engage, pledge, undertake. See agree/disagree, obligation.
2. To guarantee by a solemn promise: covenant, pledge, plight², swear, vow. Idioms: give one's word of honor. See agree/disagree, obligation.

n

Definition: hope, possibility
Antonyms: hopelessness, impossibility

n

Definition: one's word that something will be done
Antonyms: break, renege

v

Definition: bring hope, possibility
Antonyms: discourage

v

Definition: give word that something will be done
Antonyms: break, renege

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Giving one's word that one will do something creates a reason for action in the future. But when the time comes, by keeping the promise one seems to act because one has done something in the past, rather than for the sake of promoting some goal in the future. Promising therefore excites philosophical theory in two ways. There is first the question of the obligation to obey a promise: how can this exist, given its backwards-looking nature, and what are its stringency and limits? Secondly, there is a peculiarity about the origin of promise-making, in that it can easily seem that in a society with no such institution, it would never arise. This would be because it is essential to promising that at a later date you may have to turn aside from your own interests in order to keep the promise, and an individual who does this is relatively disadvantaged compared to one who does not. The problem is seen clearly by Hobbes. It is dramatized in the situation of the prisoners' dilemma, where making a promise to the other prisoner that you will not cheat would seem to be an empty charade, for no words alter the penalties and rewards. The social solution is that by institutionalizing promising, co-operative strategies can develop that further the common good, in spite of their potential for conflict with individual interest. See also convention, social contract.

This entry contains information applicable to United States law only.

A written or oral declaration given in exchange for something of value that binds the maker to do, or forbear from, a certain specific act and gives to the person to whom the declaration is made the right to expect and enforce performance or forbearance. An undertaking that something will or will not occur. It is a manifestation of intent to act, or refrain from acting, in a certain manner.

In the law of commercial paper, an undertaking to pay. It must be more than an acknowledgment of an obligation.

The person who makes the declaration is the promisor. The person to whom the declaration is made is called the promisee.

In contracts, a promise is essential to a binding legal agreement and is given in exchange for consideration, which is the inducement to enter into a promise. A promise is illusory when the promisor does not bind herself to do anything and, therefore, furnishes no consideration for a valid contract.

A promise implied in fact is a tacit promise that can be inferred from expressions or acts of the promisor. A promise implied by law can arise when no express declaration is made, but the party, in equity and justice, is under a legal duty as if he had in fact actually made a promise.

IN BRIEF: An agreement to do or not to do something. Also: A reason for expecting success.

Never make a promise in haste. — Gandhi (1869-1948)

Quotes:

"It is not the oath that makes us believe the man, but the man the oath." - Aeschylus

"Civilization rests on a set of promises; if the promises are broken too often, the civilization dies, no matter how rich it may be, or how mechanically clever. Hope and faith depend on the promises; if hope and faith go, everything goes." - Herbert Agar

"Promises are the uniquely human way of ordering the future, making it predictable and reliable to the extent that this is humanly possible." - Hannah Arendt

"When a man takes an oath, Meg, he's holding his ownself in his own hands. Like water. And if he opens his fingers then- he needn't hope to find himself again." - Robert Bolt

"If you wish to be success in the world, promise everything, deliver nothing." - Napoleon Bonaparte

"The best way to keep one's word is not to give it." - Napoleon Bonaparte

See more famous quotes about Promises

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

Dansk (Danish)
n. - løfte, forjættelse
v. tr. - love
v. intr. - love

idioms:

• promise ill    varsle dårligt
• promise oneself    love sig selv
• promise well    love godt
• Promised Land    Det forjættede Land

Nederlands (Dutch)
beloven, voorspellen, belofte, voorteken

Français (French)
n. - promesse, espoir
v. tr. - annoncer, assurer, promettre qch à qn, promettre, être promis en (mariage) (arch)
v. intr. - promettre, (fig) être très prometteur, s'annoncer bien (des résultats)

idioms:

• promise ill    s'annoncer mal
• promise oneself    se promettre
• promise the moon    promettre la lune
• promise well    s'annoncer bien
• Promised Land    terre promise

Deutsch (German)
n. - Versprechen, Zusicherung, Hoffnung
v. - versprechen

idioms:

• promise ill    viel versprechen , nicht sehr viel versprechen
• promise oneself    sich etwas vornehmen
• promise the moon    goldene Berge versprechen
• promise well    viel versprechen
• Promised Land    das Gelobte Land

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - υπόσχεση, επαγγελία, τάξιμο, ελπίδα
v. - υπόσχομαι, τάζω, δίνω υποσχέσεις, προμηνύω

idioms:

• promise ill    ενέχω δυσοίωνες προοπτικές
• promise oneself    υπόσχομαι στον εαυτό μου
• promise well    υπόσχομαι πολλά, εμφανίζω ευοίωνες προοπτικές
• Promised Land    η Χώρα της Επαγγελίας

Italiano (Italian)
promettere, promessa, voto

idioms:

• promise oneself    ripromettersi
• promise well/ill    avere belle/brutte prospettive
• Promised Land    Terra Promessa

Português (Portuguese)
n. - promessa (f)
v. - prometer

idioms:

• promise oneself    prometer a alguém
• promise well/ill    ser/não ser promissor
• Promised Land    terra prometida

Русский (Russian)
обещать, обещание

idioms:

• promise oneself    решить, самому себе пообещать
• promise well/ill    подавать/не подавать надежды
• Promised Land    Земля Обетованная, Израиль

Español (Spanish)
n. - promesa, esperanza
v. tr. - prometer
v. intr. - hacer una promesa

idioms:

• promise ill    prometer poco
• promise oneself    prometerse
• promise the moon    prometer el oro y el moro
• promise well    prometer mucho
• Promised Land    Tierra de Promisión

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - löfte
v. - (ut)lova, förebåda

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
诺言, 希望, 约定, 允诺, 答应, 作出保证, 有指望, 有前途

idioms:

• promise ill    没有希望的
• promise oneself    指望
• promise well    有希望, 有前途, 有指望
• Promised Land    期望中的乐土, 应许之地

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 諾言, 希望, 約定
v. tr. - 允諾, 答應
v. intr. - 允諾, 作出保證, 有指望, 有前途

idioms:

• promise ill    沒有希望的
• promise oneself    指望
• promise well    有希望, 有前途, 有指望
• Promised Land    期望中的樂土, 應許之地

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 약속, 계약
v. tr. - 약속하다, 약정하다
v. intr. - 가망이 있다, 약속[계약] 하다

idioms:

• promise oneself    ~할 결심을 하다, 기대하다

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 約束, 契約, 保証, 見込み, 将来性
v. - 約束する, 断言する, 見込みがある, そうだ, 契約する

idioms:

• promise oneself    心に決める, 決心する
• promise the moon    果たせそうもない無い途方も無い約束をする
• promise well/ill    見込みがある/ない

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) وعد, عهد, تعهد, بشير بالنجاح (فعل) يتعهد, يبشر, يقدم سببا‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮הבטחה, תקווה‬
v. tr. - ‮בישר, הבטיח, אישר (מדוברת)‬
v. intr. - ‮עורר ציפיות‬

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