wager

1 of 2

noun

wa·​ger ˈwā-jər 

1

a

: something (such as a sum of money) risked on an uncertain event : stake

b

: something on which bets are laid : gamble

do a stunt as a wager

2

archaic : an act of giving a pledge to take and abide by the result of some action

wager

2 of 2

verb

wagered; wagering

ˈwāj-riŋ,

ˈwā-jə- 

intransitive verb

: to make a bet

transitive verb

: to risk or venture on a final outcome

specifically : to lay as a gamble : bet

wager $5 on a horse

wagerer

ˈwā-jər-ər 

noun

Synonyms

Noun

• bet
• stake

Verb

• bet
• gamble
• go
• lay
• play
• put
• stake

Examples of wager in a Sentence

Noun

He has a wager on the game.

I don't think the horse will win. What's your wager?

Verb

She wagered $50 on the game.

I wouldn't wager against them.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The wager at the root of the story is designed to reflect the venal hollowness of the upper class. —Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Nov. 2024

On both of the sites, Pennsylvania was the state with the highest betting volume, with over $33 million in wagers on Polymarket and more than $14 million on Kalshi. —Bruna Horvath, NBC News, 9 Nov. 2024

Verb

Hundreds of millions of dollars had already been wagered on the 2024 election, but all of those bets were made in a legal gray area, Axios' Brady Dale reports. —Sareen Habeshian, Axios, 1 Nov. 2024

Donald Trump's media company is enjoying a stock market resurgence, with shares of Trump Media & Technology Group soaring on Tuesday as betting markets now wager the former president is favored to win in the November 5 election. —Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 29 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English wageour pledge, bet, from Anglo-French wageure, from *wager

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1602, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Phrases Containing wager

• place/make a wager

Kids Definition

wager

1 of 2 noun

wa·​ger ˈwā-jər 

1

: something (as a sum of money) risked on an uncertain event : bet

2

: something (as the outcome of a game or race) on which a bet is made

: gamble

wager

2 of 2 verb

wagered; wagering ˈwāj-(ə-)riŋ 

: to bet on the outcome of a contest or question

wagerer

ˈwā-jər-ər 

noun