promise

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. A declaration assuring that one will or will not do something; a vow.
2. n. Something promised.
3. n. Indication of something favorable to come; expectation: a promise of spring in the air.
4. n. Indication of future excellence or success: a player of great promise.
5. v. To commit oneself by a promise to do or give; pledge: left but promised to return.
6. v. To afford a basis for expecting: thunderclouds that promise rain.
7. v. To make a declaration assuring that something will or will not be done.
8. v. To afford a basis for expectation: an enterprise that promises well.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A declaration in reference to the future, whether written or verbal, made by one person to another, purporting to assure the latter that the former will do or forbear from a specified act, or cause it to be done or refrained from; a declaration intended to give to the person to whom it is made assurance of his right to expect from the promisor the thing promised; especially, a declaration that something shall be done or given for the benefit of the promisee or another. In law, a promise is not binding in such sense as to be directly enforceable through the courts, unless made upon a consideration good or valuable; in which case the promise and the consideration together form a contract or agreement (if under seal, termed a covenant) which binds the promisor, and it may be bis legal representatives, and gives the promisee, and in some cases a third person for whose benefit the promise was made, the right to enforce it by suit, or to recover damages for its breach.
2. n. Ground or basis of expectation; earnest: pledge.
3. n. That which affords a ground or basis for hope or for expectation of future excellence or distinction: as, a youth of great promise.
4. n. That which is promised; fulfilment or grant of what is promised.
5. n. A promise made without seal, either orally or in writing, as distinguished from one made under seal, which is technically called a covenant.
6. n. Synonyms Assurance, Promise, Engagement, Pledge, Covenant. These words are arranged in the order of strength; it would be dishonorable to fail to keep what even the weakest of them expresses. The formality and solemnity of each are proportioned to its strength. A covenant is a mutual obligation; the others are not. Each of them may be either spoken or written, but the written is generally more formal, and may have greater legal obligation.
7. To make a promise of; engage to do, give, grant, or procure for some one; especially, to engage that some benefit shall be conferred.
8. To afford reason to expect: as, the year promises a good harvest; the clouds promise rain.
9. To assure.
10. To make as promisor; be the promisor in.
11. Synonyms To assure, engage, covenant. See the noun.
12. To assure one by a promise! or binding declaration.
13. To afford hopes or expectations; give ground for expecting satisfactory or agreeable results.
14. To stand sponsor.

Wiktionary

1. n. An oath or affirmation; a vow.
2. n. 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. v. transitive To commit to something or action; to make an oath; make a vow.
4. v. intransitive To give grounds for expectation, especially of something good.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. adj. In general, a declaration, written or verbal, made by one person to another, which binds the person who makes it to do, or to forbear to do, a specified act; a declaration which gives to the person to whom it is made a right to expect or to claim the performance or forbearance of a specified act.
2. adj. (Law) An engagement by one person to another, either in words or in writing, but properly not under seal, for the performance or nonperformance of some particular thing. The word promise is used to denote the mere engagement of a person, without regard to the consideration for it, or the corresponding duty of the party to whom it is made.
3. adj. That which causes hope, expectation, or assurance; especially, that which affords expectation of future distinction.
4. adj. Bestowal, fulfillment, or grant of what is promised.
5. v. To engage to do, give, make, or to refrain from doing, giving, or making, or the like; to covenant; to engage
6. v. To afford reason to expect; to cause hope or assurance of.
7. v. To make declaration of or give assurance of, as some benefit to be conferred; to pledge or engage to bestow
8. v. To give assurance by a promise, or binding declaration.
9. v. To afford hopes or expectation; to give ground to expect good; rarely, to give reason to expect evil.

WordNet 3.0

1. v. make a promise or commitment
2. v. make a prediction about; tell in advance
3. n. a verbal commitment by one person to another agreeing to do (or not to do) something in the future
4. n. grounds for feeling hopeful about the future
5. v. promise to undertake or give
6. v. give grounds for expectations