vouchsafe
verb
ˈvau̇ch-ˌsāf
Did you know?
Shakespeare fans are well acquainted with vouchsafe, which in its Middle English form vouchen sauf meant "to grant, consent, or deign." The word, which was borrowed with its present meaning from Anglo-French in the 14th century, pops up fairly frequently in the Bard's work—60 times, to be exact. "Vouchsafe me yet your picture for my love," beseeches Proteus of Silvia in The Two Gentlemen of Verona. "Vouchsafe me raiment, bed, and food," King Lear begs his daughter Regan. But you needn't turn to Shakespeare to find vouchsafe—today's writers also find it to be a perfectly useful word.
Examples of vouchsafe in a Sentence
Becca Rothfeld, Washington Post, 26 June 2024
That’s why Phony Wars speaks to us in codes, an artist vouchsafing his feelings and intentions.
—Armond White, National Review, 29 Sep. 2023
Constitutionally speaking, the main reason for having federal law enforcement is to vouchsafe interstate and international commerce.
—The Editors, National Review, 20 Jan. 2022
Consider a test-tube example, almost ordered up to make the court’s case for it, vouchsafed by California just a few weeks ago.
—Holman W. Jenkins, WSJ, 6 July 2018
Dictionary Entries Near vouchsafe
Cite this Entry
“Vouchsafe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vouchsafe. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
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vouchsafe
verb
ˈvau̇ch-ˌsāf
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