What does promissor mean?
A promissor is someone who makes a promise, especially a person or organization bound by a contract or other formal agreement. The word is most useful in legal and business contexts because it identifies the party responsible for performing the promised act. A contract can therefore involve a promissor, who undertakes the obligation, and a promisee, to whom the undertaking is made. In ordinary conversation, promiser is more natural and easier to understand, while promissor sounds institutional or legal. The distinction can nevertheless be useful when several parties or multiple promises are involved, since it clarifies which party has made a particular commitment. The term is relatively uncommon and should not be used merely as a more elaborate substitute for promiser in casual speech.
nounA person or organization that makes a promise to another party, especially in a contract or other legal agreement.
- A person or organization that makes a promise, particularly one bound by a contract.
- The party that makes a promise in a legal or contractual relationship.
"The promissor agreed to deliver the goods by the end of the month."
"The promissor must be prepared to meet every obligation stated in the agreement."
"She regarded the company as the principal promisor responsible for completing the work."
The plural is used when referring to two or more parties that make promises.
"Both promissors were required to fulfill their contractual obligations."
In contract law, the promisor and promisee occupy opposite sides of the same bargain: one makes the promise, and the other receives it.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does promissor come from?
Promissor comes from Latin promissor, an agent noun formed from promittere, meaning “to promise.” The Latin verb combines the prefix pro- with mittere, “to send,” expressing the act of putting a promise forward toward another person. English borrowed the word in a formal legal register, where it became especially associated with the party who assumes a contractual obligation.
How promissor is actually used
Promissor is formal and much less common than the everyday word promiser. It is especially associated with contractual and legal language, where it distinguishes the party making the promise from the party receiving it.
Easily confused with promissor
A promisor makes a promise, whereas a promisee is the person to whom the promise is made.