: to command solemnly under or as if under oath or penalty of a curse
2
: to urge or advise earnestly
Did you know?
What is the difference between adjure, entreat, importune, and implore?
Adjure comes, by way of Anglo-French, from the Latin verb adjūrāre, which means “to affirm with an oath” or “to swear.” The root of adjūrāre is jūrāre, which means “to swear”; that word is also the source of jury (“a body of persons sworn to give a verdict on some matter submitted to them”) and juror (“a member of a jury”). In English, “to adjure” can mean to command someone as if under oath or the penalty of a curse, but the word is more commonly used in the sense of “to urge or advise earnestly,” and is synonymous with the somewhat more familiar verbs entreat, importune, and implore.
importune suggests an annoying persistence in trying to break down resistance to a request.
importuning viewers for contributions
Example Sentences
He adjured his followers to remain faithful to the cause. adjured them not to break the drug laws of any of the countries they would be visiting
Recent Examples on the WebDespite the song’s topic, the music is joyful, light, as Carlito adjures Maya in Lingala, the language of Kinshasa and its environs:Listen to a voice calling you in the middle of the night. Nicolas Niarchos, The New Yorker, 26 June 2019 And Congress is adjured by the Fourteenth Amendment to enforce it against the states.WSJ, 25 May 2018
Word History
Etymology
Middle English adjuren, borrowed from Anglo-French ajurer, borrowed from Latin adjūrāre "to affirm with an oath, swear," from ad-ad- + jūrāre "to swear" — more at jury entry 1