Meaning & use

betrothed

adjective·Advanced

Formally promised or engaged to be married to someone.

See it in a sentence

The princess was betrothed to a prince from a neighboring kingdom when she was only twelve.

They had been betrothed for two years before the wedding finally took place.

A note on using this word

Betrothed sounds formal or old-fashioned compared to engaged, and appears mainly in historical, legal, or literary contexts.

Words with a similar meaning

engagedaffianced

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Another way to use it

2. noun

The person to whom someone is engaged to be married.

He introduced his betrothed to the assembled guests at the banquet.

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