wager

American  

[wey-jer] / ˈweɪ dʒər /

noun

1. something risked or staked on an uncertain event; bet.

   to place a wager on a soccer match.

   Synonyms:

   risk, hazard, stake

2. the act of betting.

3. the subject or terms of a bet.

4. Early English Law. a pledge to make good one's cause by the supporting oaths of others or by battle.

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verb (used with object)

1. to risk (something) on the outcome of a contest or any uncertain event or matter; bet.

   Synonyms:

   venture, stake

2. History/Historical. to pledge oneself to (battle) for the decision of a cause.

verb (used without object)

1. to make or offer a wager; bet.

wager British  

/ ˈweɪdʒə /

noun

1. an agreement or pledge to pay an amount of money as a result of the outcome of an unsettled matter

2. an amount staked on the outcome of such a matter or event

3. (in medieval Britain) a pledge to do battle for a cause, esp to decide guilt or innocence by single combat

4. English legal history a form of trial in which the accused offered to make oath of his innocence, supported by the oaths of 11 of his neighbours declaring their belief in his statements

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verb

1. (when tr, may take a clause as object) to risk or bet (something) on the outcome of an unsettled matter

2. (tr) history to pledge oneself to (battle)

Other Word Forms

• rewager verb
• superwager noun
• unwagered adjective
• wagerer noun

Etymology

Origin of wager

1275–1325; Middle English wajour, wager solemn pledge < Anglo-French wageure, equivalent to wage ( r ) to pledge ( wage ) + -ure -ure

Example Sentences

Prediction markets allow users to wager on events and outcomes in areas from business and economics to pop culture and weather patterns.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026

Among the specific bets cited was a $2 wager on whether JD Vance would win the presidency in 2028.

From Barron's • Mar. 17, 2026

Newsom bettors put up 27 cents per dollar of their wager — $2.70 for a $10 bet; naysayers put up 74 cents.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 12, 2026

WASHINGTON—Alan Cole put his life savings, all $342,195.63, into a prediction-market wager.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 25, 2026

I worked it out in my mind again and again, but I was too timid to wager a guess—what if Aunt Kate and the others laughed at my wild imagination?

From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan

Related Words

• gamble
• put up
• speculate