betrothal
bih-TROHTH-uhl
/bɪˈtrəʊ.ðəl/
A formal agreement to marry; an engagement.
Carries a much more formal, historical, or binding connotation than 'engagement'. It often implies a family or social contract.
The story behind the word. From the Middle English 'betrouthe', where 'be-' is an intensifier and 'trouthe' means 'truth' or 'pledge'. It literally means the act of giving one's 'truth' to another.
Word relationships
- engagement: Engagement is the modern, standard term; betrothal is formal and traditional.
- affiance: An even rarer, more literary term for a pledge to marry.
Commonly confused with
- nuptials: Betrothal is the promise to marry; nuptials is the actual wedding.
Word family
- betrothed (noun/adjective): The person to whom one is engaged.
- betroth (verb): To promise to marry.
Collocations
- formal betrothal
- betrothal ceremony
- broken betrothal
Example sentences
- "The betrothal of the princess to the neighboring king was announced to secure a peace treaty." A historical or royal context.
- "During their long betrothal, they exchanged hundreds of letters." Describing the period before the wedding.
Memory hook
Betrothal = Be-Truth-Al (giving your truth to someone). Pledge your 'troth' (truth).
When not to use
In modern dating, 'engagement' is almost always preferred unless you are writing a period piece or discussing royal customs.
Fun facts
- In some cultures, a betrothal was legally as binding as a marriage and required a formal legal process to break.
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