simple vow

noun

, Roman Catholic Church.

1. a public vow taken by a religious, under which property may be retained and marriage, though held to be illicit, is valid under canon law.

Word History and Origins

Origin of simple vow¹

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

It might help if all public actors, from leaders and investigators to journalists and voters, made a simple vow to make it a little better, not a little worse.

From Wall Street Journal

For all of his rhetorical fireworks, he has driven home his simple vow to “make America great again.”

From New York Times

And the murmur lasted longer than a simple vow would have.

From Literature

But now he had ended his relationship with the former tennis world number one, he made the simple vow to immerse himself in his golf.

From BBC

Mr. Obama has repeated a seemingly simple vow: On his watch, the United States would do whatever it takes to “prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.”

From New York Times