avow
English edit
Etymology edit
From Middle English avowen, from Old French avouer, from Latin advocare (“to call to, call upon, hence to call as a witness, defender, patron, or advocate”), from ad (“to”) + vocare (“to call”). Doublet of advoke, avouch, and advocate. Not related to vow.
Pronunciation edit
Verb edit
avow (third-person singular simple present avows, present participle avowing, simple past and past participle avowed)
- (transitive) To declare openly and boldly, as something believed to be right; to own, acknowledge or confess frankly.
- 1858, Henry Stephens Randall, The Life of Thomas Jefferson, volume 1, page 461:
- […] in 1786, and for some period later, there were few, if any, prominent Americans, who avowed themselves in favor of broadly democratic systems.
- (transitive) To bind or devote by a vow.
- (Can we find and add a quotation of Wyclif to this entry?)
- (law) To acknowledge and justify, as an act done. See avowry.
- 1765–1769, William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England, (please specify |book=I to IV), Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] Clarendon Press, →OCLC:
- avow himself the accomplice of his crimes
Antonyms edit
Related terms edit
Related terms
Translations edit
declare openly
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Noun edit
avow
- (obsolete) avowal
- 1697, Virgil, “The Twelfth Book of the Æneis”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:
- without thy Knowledge and Avow
Further reading edit
- “avow”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
- “avow”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
- “avow”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.