avow

• POS: Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: a=vow

CIDE DICTIONARY

avow, v. t. [F. avouver, fr. L. advocare to call to (whence the meanings, to call upon as superior; recognize as lord, own, confess); ad + vocare to call. See Advocate, Avouch.].

•  To declare openly, as something believed to be right; to own or acknowledge frankly; as, a man avows his principles or his crimes.  [1913 Webster]

  "Which I to be the of Israel's God
  Avow, and challenge Dagon to the test."  [1913 Webster]
•  To acknowledge and justify, as an act done. See Avowry.  Blackstone.  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- To acknowledge; own; confess. See Confess.

avow, n. [Cf. F. aveu.].

 Avowal.  Dryden.  [1913 Webster]

avow, v. t. & i. [OF. avouer, fr. LL. votare to vow, fr. L. votun. See Vote, n.].

 To bind, or to devote, by a vow.  Wyclif.  [1913 Webster]

avow, n. 

 A vow or determination.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

avow, v.tr.
1 admit, confess.
2 a refl. admit that one is (avowed himself the author). b (as avowed adj.) admitted (the avowed author).

Derivative

avowal n. avowedly adv.

Etymology

ME f. OF avouer acknowledge f. L advocare (as AD-, vocare call)

THESAURUS

avow

accept, acknowledge, admit, admit everything, affirm, agree provisionally, allege, allow, announce, annunciate, argue, assent grudgingly, assert, assever, asseverate, attest, aver, avouch, bear witness, certify, claim, come clean, concede, confess, contend, cop a plea, declare, defend, depone, depose, disclose, enunciate, express, express general agreement, express the belief, give evidence, go along with, grant, have, hold, insist, issue a manifesto, lay down, let on, maintain, manifesto, not oppose, open up, out with it, own, own up, plead guilty, predicate, pretend, pretext, proclaim, profess, pronounce, protest, protest too much, purport, put, put it, recognize, say, set down, speak, speak out, speak up, spill, spill it, spit it out, stand for, stand on, state, submit, swear, tell all, tell the truth, testify, vindicate, vouch, vow, warrant, witness, yield

ROGET THESAURUS

avow

Assent

VB assent, give assent, yield assent, nod assent, acquiesce, agree, receive, accept, accede, accord, concur, lend oneself to, consent, coincide, reciprocate, go with, be at one with, go along with, chime in with, strike in with, close in with, echo, enter into one's views, agree in opinion, vote, give one's voice for, recognize, subscribe to, conform to, defer to, say yes to, say ditto, amen to, say aye to, acknowledge, own, admit, allow, avow, confess, concede, come round to, abide by, permit, arrive at an understanding, come to an understanding, come to terms, come to an agreement, confirm, affirm, ratify, appprove, indorse, countersign, corroborate, go with the stream, swim with the stream, go with the flow, blow with the wind, be in fashion, join in the chorus, join the crowd, be one of the guys, be part of the group, go with the crowd, don't make waves, be in every mouth.

Disclosure

VB disclose, discover, dismask, draw the veil, draw aside the veil, lift the veil, raise the veil, lift up the veil, remove the veil, tear aside the veil, tear the curtain, unmask, unveil, unfold, uncover, unseal, unkennel, take off the seal, break the seal, lay open, lay bare, expose, open, open up, bare, bring to light, divulge, reveal, break, squeal, tattle, sing, rat, snitch, let into the secret, reveal the secrets of the prison house, tell, breathe, utter, blab, peach, let out, let fall, let drop, let slip, spill the beans, let the cat out of the bag, betray, tell tales, come out of school, come out with, give vent, give utterance to, open the lips, blurt out, vent, whisper about, speak out, make public, unriddle, split, acknowledge, allow, concede, grant, admit, own, own up to, confess, avow, throw off all disguise, turn inside out, make a clean breast, show one's hand, show one's cards, unburden one's mind, disburden one's mind, disburden one's conscience, disburden one's heart, open one's mind, lay bare one's mind, tell a piece of one's mind, unbosom oneself, own to the soft impeachment, say the truth, speak the truth, turn King's evidence, Queen's evidence, acknowledge the corn, raise the mask, drop the mask, lift the mask, remove the mask, throw off the mask, expose, lay open, undeceive, unbeguile, disabuse, set right, correct, open the eyes of, d_esillusionner, be disclosed, transpire, come to light, come in sight, become known, escape the lips, come out, ooze out, creep out, leak out, peep out, crop-out, show its face, show its colors, discover itself, break through the clouds, flash on the mind.

Affirmation

VB assert, make an assertion, have one's say, say, affirm, predicate, declare, state, protest, profess, put forth, put forward, advance, allege, propose, propound, enunciate, broach, set forth, hold out, maintain, contend, pronounce, pretend, depose, depone, aver, avow, avouch, asseverate, swear, make oath, take one's oath, make an affidavit, swear an affidavit, put in an affidavit, take one's Bible oath, kiss the book, vow, vitam impendere vero, swear till one is black in the face, swear till one is blue in the face, swear till all's blue, be sworn, call Heaven to witness, vouch, warrant, certify, assure, swear by bell book and candle, swear by, insist upon, take one's stand upon, emphasize, lay stress on, assert roundly, assert positively, lay down, lay down the law, raise one's voice, dogmatize, have the last word, rap out, repeat, reassert, reaffirm, announce, acknowledge, attest, adjure.