engagement ring

American  

noun

1. a ring, often a diamond, given by a man to his fiancée at the time of their engagement as a token of their betrothal.

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engagement ring British  

noun

1. a ring given by a man to a woman as a token of their betrothal

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Etymology

Origin of engagement ring

First recorded in 1860–65

Example Sentences

He urged her to name the child after his brother if he was a boy, she says, and returned from a trip back to the UK with an engagement ring.

From BBC • Apr. 19, 2026

The scariest thing about buying my fiancée’s engagement ring wasn’t the months of saving up money, nor the anxiety of wondering if she’d love every little detail of the ring I’d picked out for her.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 3, 2026

Lera, Horbenko’s fiancée, still wears the engagement ring he gave her.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026

The addition of the engagement ring helps sell the story.

From Salon • Jan. 2, 2026

Angela twisted the engagement ring her mother made her wear in spite of the rash.

From "The Westing Game" by Ellen Raskin