Promise

/ˈpɹɒmɪs/ · noun

Meaning

(countable) An oath or affirmation; a vow..

Definitions by Sense

1. (countable) An oath or affirmation; a vow.
2. (countable, law) A transaction between two persons whereby the first person undertakes in the future to render some service or gift to the second person or devotes something valuable now and here to his use.
3. (uncountable) Reason to expect improvement or success; potential.
4. (countable, programming) A placeholder object representing the eventual result of an asynchronous operation.
5. (countable, obsolete) Bestowal or fulfillment of what is promised.
6. (ambitransitive, ditransitive) To commit to (some action or outcome), or to assure (a person) of such commitment; to make an oath or vow.
7. (ambitransitive) To give grounds for expectation, especially of something good.

Example Sentences

When I make a promise, I always stick to it.

He broke his promise: he said he'd return my jewellery, but never did.

He purſued Andrew Houſtoun upon his promiſe, to give him the like Sallary for the next year, and in abſence obtained him to be holden as confeſt and Decerned.

She shows great promise as an actress.

My native country was full of youthful promise.

The original family who had begun to build a palace to rival Nonesuch had died out before they had put up little more than the gateway, so that the actual structure which had come down to posterity retained the secret magic of a promise rather than the overpowering splendour of a great architectural achievement.

You can often use observables instead of promises to deliver values asynchronously.

He […] commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father.

Synonyms for promise

Antonyms for promise

Related Words

Word Forms

• promises
• promyse
• promising
• promised

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

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