wager

1 of 2

noun

wa·​ger ˈwā-jər How to pronounce wager (audio)
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- How to pronounce wager (audio)

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 noun

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
On March 3, Michael Green, chief strategist at asset management firm Simplify, entered into a wager with Peter McCormack, host of the podcast What Bitcoin Did. Joel Khalili, WIRED, 12 Mar. 2024 Berlanga is the -500 favorite (bet $500 to win $100), while McCrory is the +350 underdog (win $350 on a $100 wager). Josh Katzowitz, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2024 Non-jackpot slots will contribute 100% of your wagers towards the rollover, with table games and other specialties much lower at 10% – 20%. Sponsored Content, The Mercury News, 20 Feb. 2024 Kidding Around While playing cards at an English tavern in 1735, Henry and John Trotter bet the child of James and Elizabeth Leesh against a four-shilling wager. Chris Carra, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Feb. 2024 The absence of legal betting in Missouri is especially noticeable in the Kansas City metro, where gamblers only need to cross into Kansas to place legal wagers. Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 1 Feb. 2024 Those types of wagers can be made offshore with sportsbooks such as BetUS, which is based in Costa Rica, and potentially in the Canadian province of Ontario. Mark Anderson, Twin Cities, 31 Jan. 2024 The legislation calls on the operators to prevent people who are not registered from placing wagers as well as to prevent people who are not located in North Carolina from placing bets. Brian Murphy, Charlotte Observer, 29 Feb. 2024 According to BetMGM, 53% of bettors placed wagers on the heads result. Richard Morin, USA TODAY, 11 Feb. 2024
Verb
BetOnline gives bettors the chance to wager on 30+ sports markets with 18 different forms of cryptocurrency. Sponsored Content, The Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2024 Understanding parimutuel odds and payouts Rebel Stakes Betting Odds And Contenders Preview Bettors looking to cash in on Saturday’s big races and the unrivaled day of racing the first Saturday of May can watch and wager on the biggest races through FanDuel Racing. Jay Ginsbach, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2024 Bettors would wager around $23.1 billion, according to the survey. Cortlynn Stark, Sacramento Bee, 13 Feb. 2024 Betting the moneyline The negative odds (-130) mean that a person would have to wager $130 on the Niners in order to win $100. Steve Gardner, USA TODAY, 11 Feb. 2024 From there, the world is your oyster on how much to wager and which bets to place. Rivan Stinson, Washington Post, 10 Feb. 2024 Americans legally wagered more than $115 billion on sports in 2023, according to the American Gaming Association, the national trade group for the gambling industry. Jenny Vrentas, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2024 Determining winners and betting on horse racing is more difficult than meets the eye or just wagering on the favorites. Jay Ginsbach, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 Casino employees at all three sportsbook locations are barred from wagering on sports. Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 29 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wager.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of wager was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near wager

Cite this Entry

“Wager.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wager. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

wager

1 of 2 noun
wa·​ger ˈwā-jər How to pronounce wager (audio)
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 How to pronounce wager (audio)
: to bet on the outcome of a contest or question
wagerer noun

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