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definitions

banns

or bans

[ banz ]
/ bænz /
|
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR banns ON THESAURUS.COM

noun (used with a plural verb) Ecclesiastical.

notice of an intended marriage, given three times in the parish church of each of the betrothed.
any public announcement of a proposed marriage, either verbal or written and made in a church or by church officials.

RELATED WORDS

nuptials, matrimony, betrothal, marriage, bridal, troth, nuptial, spousal

Nearby words

  1. bannister's disease,
  2. bannister, sir roger gilbert,
  3. bannisters,
  4. bannock,
  5. bannockburn,
  6. banoffee,
  7. banon,
  8. banquet,
  9. banquet room,
  10. banqueteer

Origin of banns

1540–50; variant of bans, plural of ban2
Can be confusedbanns bans
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for banns

British Dictionary definitions for banns

banns

bans

/ (bænz) /

pl n

the public declaration of an intended marriage, usually formally announced on three successive Sundays in the parish churches of both the betrothed
forbid the banns to raise an objection to a marriage announced in this way

Word Origin for banns

C14: plural of bann proclamation; see ban 1
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for banns

banns

n.

see bann.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper