What word means a formal promise?
Answer
Oath
Explanation
The word that means a formal promise, on the USCIS reading vocabulary list, is Oath. An oath is a solemn declaration, often invoking a higher power or matter of conscience, in which a person promises to do something or asserts that something is true. Oaths have legal force in the United States: false statements made under oath constitute the federal crime of perjury under 18 U.S.C. section 1621, punishable by up to five years in prison.
Several oaths shape the U.S. civic system. The presidential oath of office, prescribed by Article II, section 1, clause 8 of the Constitution, is taken at every inauguration: "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States." Members of Congress, federal judges, military officers, and other federal officials take an oath under 5 U.S.C. section 3331 to support and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic, and to bear true faith and allegiance to it.
Witnesses in court testify under oath. Naturalization applicants take the Oath of Allegiance to the United States as the final step of becoming a citizen, prescribed by 8 CFR section 337.1: the applicant renounces foreign allegiances, promises to support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States, and pledges to bear arms or perform noncombatant or civilian service when required by law. The Constitution permits affirmation in place of an oath for those whose religious beliefs forbid swearing.
On the reading test Oath may appear in a sentence such as "What oath do citizens take?"
Why this matters for your test
Oath connects the reading test to the most personal moment of the entire naturalization process: the Oath of Allegiance the applicant will take to become a citizen. The word also appears in civics questions about the presidential oath and the duties of public officials, and recognizing it in print prepares the applicant for both the test sentences and the language of the oath ceremony itself.
Source: USCIS Reading Vocabulary (2025)
