different between promise vs compromise

English

Alternative forms

• promyse (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English promis, promisse, borrowed from Old French promesse, from Medieval Latin pr?missa, Latin pr?missum (“a promise”), feminine and neuter of promissus, past participle of pr?mitt? (“I send or put forth, let go forward, say beforehand, promise”), from pro (“forth”) + mittere (“to send”); see mission. Compare admit, commit, permit, etc. Displaced native Old English ?eh?tan (“to promise”) and ?eh?t (“a promise”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?p??m?s/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?p??m?s/
• Hyphenation: prom?ise

Noun

promise (countable and uncountable, plural promises)

1. (countable) an oath or affirmation; a vow

2. (countable) 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.
   • 1668 July 3rd, James Dalrymple, “Thomas Rue contra Andrew Hou?toun” in The Deci?ions of the Lords of Council & Se??ion I (Edinburgh, 1683), pages 547–548

     He pur?ued Andrew Hou?toun upon his promi?e, to give him the like Sallary for the next year, and in ab?ence obtained him to be holden as confe?t and Decerned.

3. (uncountable) Reason to expect improvement or success; potential.

   • My native country was full of youthful promise.

4. (countable, computing, programming) A placeholder object representing the eventual result of an asynchronous operation.

   Synonyms: delay, deferred, (imprecise) future

5. (countable, obsolete) bestowal or fulfillment of what is promised

   • He […] commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father.

Translations

Verb

promise (third-person singular simple present promises, present participle promising, simple past and past participle promised)

1. (transitive, intransitive) To commit to (some action or outcome), or to assure (a person) of such commitment; to make an oath or vow.

2. (intransitive) To give grounds for expectation, especially of something good.

Usage notes

• This is a catenative verb that takes the to infinitive. See Appendix:English catenative verbs

Synonyms

• halsen

Related terms

Translations

See also

• election promise

Further reading

• promise in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• promise in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• Promise on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• imposer, porimes, semipro

French

Verb

promise

1. feminine singular of the past participle of promettre

Anagrams

• imposer

Italian

Verb

promise

1. third-person singular past historic of promettere

Anagrams

• espormi, esprimo, impreso

Romanian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [pro?mise]

Adjective

promise

1. feminine plural of promis
2. neuter plural of promis

Verb

promise

1. third-person singular simple perfect indicative of promite

English

Etymology

From Middle French compromis, from Medieval Latin, Late Latin compromissum (“a compromise, originally a mutual promise to refer to arbitration”), prop. neuter of Latin compromissus, past participle of compromittere (“to make a mutual promise to abide by the decision of an arbiter”), from com- (“together”) + promittere (“to promise”); see promise.

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -a?z
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?k?mp???ma?z/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?k?mp???ma?z/

Noun

compromise (countable and uncountable, plural compromises)

1. The settlement of differences by arbitration or by consent reached by mutual concessions.
   • c. 1595, William Shakespeare, King Richard the Second

     But basely yielded upon compromise / That which his noble ancestors achieved with blows.

   • 1775, Edmund Burke, Conciliation with America

     All government, indeed every human benefit and enjoyment, every virtue and every prudent act, is founded on compromise and barter.

   • 1827, Henry Hallam, The Constitutional History of England

     An abhorrence of concession and compromise is a never failing characteristic of religious factions.

2. A committal to something derogatory or objectionable; a prejudicial concession; a surrender.

   a compromise of character or right

   • 1823, Charles Lamb, Modern Gallantry

     I was determined not to accept any fine speeches, to the compromise of that sex the belonging to which was, after all, my strongest claim and title to them.

3. (computer security) A breach of a computer or network's rules such that an unauthorized disclosure or loss of sensitive information may have occurred, or the unauthorized disclosure or loss itself.

Related terms

• promise

Translations

Further reading

• compromise in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• compromise in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Verb

compromise (third-person singular simple present compromises, present participle compromising, simple past and past participle compromised)

1. (transitive, intransitive) To bind by mutual agreement.
2. To adjust and settle by mutual concessions; to compound.
   • 1662, Thomas Fuller, History of the Worthies of England

     The controversy may easily be compromised.

3. (intransitive) To find a way between extremes.
4. To pledge by some act or declaration; to endanger the life, reputation, etc., of, by some act which can not be recalled; to expose to suspicion.
   • 1855, John Lothrop Motley, The Rise of the Dutch Republic

     To pardon all who had been compromised in the late disturbances.

5. (transitive) To cause impairment of.
6. (transitive) To breach (a security system).

   He tried to compromise the security in the computer by guessing the password.

Synonyms

• split the difference

Derived terms

• compromising (adjective)

Translations

Further reading

• Compromise in the Encyclopædia Britannica (11th edition, 1911)

Anagrams

• micropoems

Italian

Verb

compromise

1. third-person singular past historic of compromettere