Pledge of Allegiance

American

noun

a solemn oath of allegiance or fidelity to the U.S., beginning, “I pledge allegiance to the flag,” and forming part of many flag-saluting ceremonies in the U.S.

Pledge of Allegiance Cultural

Also called the “Pledge to the Flag.” The American patriotic vow, which is often recited at formal government ceremonies, including Independence Day ceremonies for new citizens: “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

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The phrase under God, added in 1954 (more than sixty years after the pledge was originally published), has inspired heated debate over the separation of church and state.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Earlier, during the preliminaries, someone had led the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance—first to the American flag, then to the state of Texas.

From The Wall Street Journal

And so much of his brain was drowning in thoughts like, All those times I said the Pledge of Allegiance at school—doesn’t that count for anything?

From Literature

I led everyone gathered in the auditorium in a rousing recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance.

From The Wall Street Journal

The pledge of allegiance from Taipei on Tuesday contrasted with shifting winds in the West, where U.S. tariffs and other threats have nudged partners to seek alternatives.

From The Wall Street Journal

“When we do the Pledge of Allegiance,” I said, “she always stands up.”

From Literature

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023