Read along with the three podcasts, or open the full dictionary entry for Oath for the definition, Arabic meaning, synonyms and example sentences.
Narrator: Today's word is "Oath" — noun, pronounced /əʊθ/, with the stress on "oath".
Narrator: An oath is a formal, serious promise, often calling on God or the law as witness.
Narrator: In plain English, a solemn promise.
Narrator: It comes from Old English āth.
Narrator: A common collocation is "under oath", which describes speaking in court bound to tell the truth.
Narrator: It differs from "promise", because an oath is formal and often legally binding.
Narrator: In a second sense, an oath can be an old word for a swear word.
Narrator: Law, politics, medicine and history rely on the word.
Narrator: So remember: an oath is a promise you must keep.
Speaker A: What did the witness do first?
Speaker B: Took the OATH! From Old English āth.
Speaker A: To tell the truth?
Speaker B: The whole truth.
Speaker A: Example sentences?
Speaker B: "She was under oath", court. "The Hippocratic oath", medicine. "MPs swore an oath", Parliament.
Speaker A: Common mistakes?
Speaker B: Lying under oath is perjury, a serious crime.
Speaker A: Close relatives?
Speaker B: Vow is its twin, pledge its cousin, and affirmation an alternative — yet oath keeps its solemn charm!
Speaker B: Let's use "oath" in AI prompts — useful for legal education and history.
Speaker A: How for law?
Speaker B: Explain.
Prompt: Explain the difference between an oath and an affirmation in UK courts.
Speaker A: And history?
Speaker B: Medicine.
Prompt: Summarise the Hippocratic oath in modern plain English.
Speaker A: Could it help citizenship?
Speaker B: Yes, for ceremonies.
Prompt: Explain the oath taken at a UK citizenship ceremony.
Speaker A: One more?
Speaker B: Stories.
Prompt: Write a scene where a knight takes an oath of loyalty.
Oath — meaning in Arabic & definition More O courses GL Dictionary