pledge

I UK [pledʒ] / US verb [transitive]
Word forms "pledge":
present tense I/you/we/they pledge he/she/it pledges present participle pledging past tense pledged past participle pledged

1)

a) mainly journalism to promise seriously and publicly to do something

pledge support:

Britain, France, and Germany were among the countries pledging their support.

pledge to do something:

He has pledged to fight for a fairer system.

pledge that:

The President has pledged that putting the economy right will be his top priority.

pledge someone/yourself to do something:

They have pledged themselves to root out state corruption.

b) to promise a certain amount of money for a particular purpose

The international community pledged $500 million for economic reconstruction.

2) to give something valuable to someone as a way of promising that you will pay them money later

His home is pledged as security against the loans.

II UK [pledʒ] / US noun [countable]
Word forms "pledge":
singular pledge plural pledges

1) mainly journalism a serious and public promise to do something

Sunday's vote was a test of the new president's pledge of fair elections.

campaign/election pledge (= a promise made during an election):

a campaign pledge to cut taxes

make/keep/break a pledge to do something:

The rebels had failed to keep a pledge to release the two men.

a) an amount of money that you have promised to give an organization

a pledge of £250 to cancer research

b) old-fashioned a promise

2) something valuable that you give to someone as a way of promising that you will pay them money later