Definition

1. Verb (transitive):
   • To formally admit someone to office or a position by administering an oath: The act of causing a person to take a formal, solemn promise (an oath) to fulfill the duties of a specific role, such as a public office, military commission, or official post.

Usage

• The verb "swear in" is a phrasal verb. It is used with a direct object (the person being admitted).
• It is typically used in passive constructions (e.g., ) to describe the person entering the office.
• The ceremony or event where this happens is called a swearing-in (noun, hyphenated).

Examples

• Active voice:
  • The Chief Justice will swear in the new cabinet members tomorrow.
  • The captain swore in the new recruits.
• Passive voice (most common):
  • The new President was sworn in during a ceremony at the Capitol.
  • She will be sworn in as mayor next week.

Advanced Usage

• "swear someone in as [position]": To specify the office or title the person is assuming.
  • The judge swore her in as a member of the jury.
• The noun form "swearing-in":
  • The presidential swearing-in is a major public event.
  • He attended the swearing-in ceremony.

Variants and Related Words

• Swearing-in (n): The ceremony or act of administering an oath of office.
• Oath (n): A solemn promise, often invoking a divine witness, regarding one's future action or behavior.
• Inaugurate (v): To formally begin or introduce something, especially a new system, policy, or period; often used in the context of a formal ceremony to admit someone to office.
• Induct (v): To formally install someone in a position or organization.

Synonyms

• Administer an oath to
• Install formally
• Induct

Related Phrasal Verbs

(Not applicable for this specific phrasal verb itself, as it is the target term.)

Related Idioms

(Not directly applicable. The term "swear in" is itself a formal procedural phrase rather than an idiom.)

Verb

1. administer on oath to
   • The speaker of the House swore in the new President