What does promisor mean?
Promisor is a chiefly legal noun for a person who makes a promise or assumes a contractual obligation. In a contract, it usually identifies the party bound to perform the promised act, such as supplying goods, paying money, or delivering services. The related term promisee denotes the person to whom the promise is made, so the two words form a clear legal contrast. Promisor is not restricted to contracts: it can describe anyone making a promise, but that broader use is much less common than its legal sense and often sounds formal or technical. The word is useful when precision matters, especially when distinguishing the source of an obligation from the person who benefits from it. Outside legal writing, a writer may prefer the more natural “one who promises” or “promiser.”
nounA promisor is a person who makes a promise, especially the party who undertakes an obligation or agrees to perform a contractual duty. The term is chiefly used in legal and formal contexts.
- A person who makes a promise or undertakes an obligation, especially in a contract.
"The contract identified the supplier as the promisor of the goods and required delivery by the specified date."
"The promisor was required to deliver the replacement within thirty days."
"In ordinary conversation, she was the promisor of the help she had offered to her neighbor."
The plural is used when referring to multiple people who make promises or share contractual obligations.
"The two promisors were jointly responsible for the performance of the agreement."
In contract law, the promisor makes the promise; the promisee is the one who receives it.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does promisor come from?
The word comes from Latin promisor, an agent noun meaning “one who promises,” formed from promittere, meaning “to promise.” English adopted it as a formal legal term for the person who makes a promise or undertakes an obligation. Related words from the same root include promise, promissory, promissive, and promission.
Related word forms
How promisor is actually used
Promisor is primarily legal and formal. In everyday speech, “one who promises” is more natural, while “promiser” may suggest someone who makes informal or repeated promises.
Easily confused with promisor
A promisor makes a promise, whereas a promisee is the person to whom the promise is made.