a statement that you will definitely do, give, or not do something
Mia kept her promise and called her friend every week.
The politician made a bold promise to reduce taxes.
✦ From Latin “promissum,” past participle of “promittere” meaning “to send forth, promise.”
to say that you will definitely do, give, or arrange something
She promised to send the files before noon.
I promise I'll be back in time for dinner.
signs that someone or something is likely to be successful or excellent in the future
The young scientist's early experiments showed great promise.
This weather app has a lot of promise despite a few bugs.
to show signs that something good or important is likely to happen
The morning sky promises a sunny day.
Her confident smile promised success.
present participle of promise: saying that you will definitely do, give, or allow something
She is promising to finish the report by noon.
By promising lower fees, the gym attracted many new members.
✦ From Latin “promittere” meaning “to send ahead, assure,” through Old French “promettre.”
to reach an agreement in which each side accepts less than it first wanted
The two companies decided to compromise rather than risk a long court battle.
If we all compromise, we can choose a holiday destination everyone likes.
✦ From the same Latin root as the noun; verb use recorded from the 17th century.
to weaken or reduce the quality, value, or effectiveness of something
Excessive heat can compromise the flavor of fine chocolate.
Cutting corners will only compromise the safety of the building.
a situation in which secret information, a computer system, or personal safety has been exposed or harmed
The data compromise affected over a million customers.
After the security compromise, the company hired an external auditor.
to expose someone or something to danger, especially by making information or a system less secure
Hackers compromised the company’s servers and stole customer data.
Sharing your password could compromise your online accounts.
