Meaning & use
courtship
A period during which a couple develops a romantic relationship before deciding to marry.
See it in a sentence
Their courtship lasted two years before he finally proposed at her family's cabin.
Letters exchanged during their courtship reveal how quickly their friendship turned into love.
A note on using this word
Courtship sounds slightly old-fashioned in everyday speech about modern dating, but stays standard in historical and biological contexts.
Words with a similar meaning
wooingdating
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Another way to use it
2. noun
The behavior animals display to attract a mate before breeding.
The male peacock's courtship display involves fanning out his colorful tail feathers.
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