a document, usually negotiable, containing a signed promise to pay a stated sum of money to a specified person at a designated date or on demand
Also called: note, note of hand
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025
ˈprom•is•so•ry ˈnote, n. [countable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025- a written promise to pay a specified sum of money at a fixed time or on demand.
prom′issory note′,
- a written promise to pay a specified sum of money to a designated person or to his or her order, or to the bearer of the note, at a fixed time or on demand.
- a written promise to do or provide something, usually presented as a gift and claimable when or however the recipient chooses.
- 1700–10
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
'promissory note' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
PN
- bank note
- banknote
- bill
- comaker
- commercial paper
- cosigner
- draw
- forfaiting
- holder
- lift
- long
- maker
- marker
- negotiable
- negotiate
- note
- note of hand
- paper
- presentment
- protest
- stiff
- tenor
- trust deed