- a formal promise to do something or a formal statement that something is true
- to take/swear an oath of allegiance
- Before giving evidence, witnesses in court have to take the oath (= promise to tell the truth).
- The next US president will take the oath of office in January.
- All members had to swear a solemn oath never to reveal the secrets of the organization.
- You are bound by oath to tell the truth.
Collocations Voting in electionsVoting in electionsRunning for election- conduct/hold an election/a referendum
- (especially North American English) run for office/election/governor/mayor/president/the White House
- (especially British English) stand for election/office/Parliament/the Labour Party/a second term
- hold/call/contest a general/national election
- launch/run a presidential election campaign
- support/back a candidate
- sway/convince/persuade voters/the electorate
- appeal to/attract/woo/target (North American English) swing voters/(British English) floating voters
- fix/rig/steal an election/the vote
- go to/be turned away from (especially British English) a polling station/(North American English) a polling place
- cast a/your vote/ballot (for somebody)
- vote for the Conservative candidate/the Democratic party
- mark/spoil your ballot paper
- count (British English) the postal votes/(especially North American English) the absentee ballots
- go to/be defeated at the ballot box
- get/win/receive/lose votes
- get/win (60% of) the popular/black/Hispanic/Latino/Muslim vote
- win the election/(in the US) the primaries/a seat in Parliament/a majority/power
- lose an election/the vote/your majority/your seat
- win/come to power in a landslide (victory) (= with many more votes than any other party)
- elect/re-elect somebody (as) mayor/president/an MP/senator/congressman/congresswoman
- be sworn into office/in as president
- take/administer (in the US) the oath of office
- swear/take (in the UK) an/the oath of allegiance
- give/deliver (in the US) the president’s inaugural address
- take/enter/hold/leave office
- appoint somebody (as) ambassador/governor/judge/minister
- form a government/a cabinet
- serve two terms as prime minister/in office
Extra Examples- Only a judge is allowed to administer the oath.
- a doctor's Hippocratic oath
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverb + oath- administer
- on oath
- under oath
Definitions on the go
Look up any word in the dictionary offline, anytime, anywhere with the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary app.
- (old-fashioned) an offensive word or phrase used to express anger, surprise, etc.; a swear word
- She heard the sound of breaking glass, followed by a muttered oath.
Word OriginOld English āth, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch eed and German Eid.
Idioms
See oath in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionaryon/under oath
- (law) having made a formal promise to tell the truth in court
- Is she prepared to give evidence on oath?
- The judge reminded the witness that he was still under oath.
- You have sworn under oath that you never met this man.
Check pronunciation:
oath