solemn vow

noun

: an absolute and irrevocable public vow taken by a religious in the Roman Catholic Church under which ownership of property by the individual is prohibited and marriage is invalid under canon law

Examples of solemn vow in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

First came the tears — theirs, not mine — and a solemn vow from my 14-year-old to dedicate her life to pursuing a career in Congress, with the singular ambition of taking down Ticketmaster. —Carrie Simonelli, BostonGlobe.com, 17 May 2023

Making a solemn vow that my theoretical future children will never play contact sports. —Emma Specter, Vogue, 24 Mar. 2023

Mom and Dad, with the bishop’s permission, and after taking a solemn vow, could leave the marital bed and replace it with chaste cohabitation. —New York Times, 17 Nov. 2021

Americans seem eager for practical information and opportunities to help, not solemn vows of corporate togetherness. —Amanda Mull, The Atlantic, 23 Apr. 2020

Asked if he's made a solemn vow that this really is his last project, Ray looks away and smiles. —Jesse Leavenworth, courant.com, 27 July 2017

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above