betroth

American  

[bih-trohth, -trawth] / bɪˈtroʊð, -ˈtrɔθ /

verb (used with object)

betroths, present (3rd person singular) betrothed, past participle, past betrothing present participle

1. to arrange for the marriage of; affiance (usually used in passive constructions).

   The couple was betrothed with the approval of both families.

   Synonyms:

   plight, pledge, promise, engage

2. Archaic. to promise to marry.

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betroth British  

/ bɪˈtrəʊð /

verb

1. archaic (tr) to promise to marry or to give in marriage

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

• betrothing
  present
• betrothed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• betroth
  simple
• betroths
  simple
• have betrothed
  perfect
• has betrothed
  perfect
• am betrothing
  progressive
• are betrothing
  progressive
• is betrothing
  progressive
• have been betrothing
  perfect progressive
• has been betrothing
  perfect progressive

Past

• betrothed
  simple
• had betrothed
  perfect
• was betrothing
  progressive
• were betrothing
  progressive
• had been betrothing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will betroth
  simple
• will have betrothed
  perfect
• will be betrothing
  progressive
• will have been betrothing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of betroth

1275–1325; Middle English betrouthe, variant of betreuthe ( be- be- + treuthe truth; see troth)

Explanation

The verb betroth means to give to in marriage. In the really olden days, your parents might betroth you to someone you barely knew and you'd be expected to marry this virtual stranger. Since arranged marriages are becoming more rare, betroth has taken on the more general meaning of pledging to be married. If your boyfriend says, "Want to get hitched?" and you say, "Excellent idea!" then you are betrothed. Betroth is from the Middle English word betreuthe, which itself is from the roots bi-, meaning "thoroughly," and trowthe, meaning "truth" or "pledge."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

betroth betroths betrothed betrothing

Following her death from tuberculosis in 1847, he planned to betroth his first love, Sarah Elmira Royster Shelton, in the same city.

From Washington Post ● Mar. 11, 2022

The most important decisions you make in this game are not military, but about to whom to betroth your children.

From New York Times ● Mar. 30, 2012

Intoned the bride's father: "I betroth to Your Majesty my daughter, Farida."

From Time Magazine Archive

Precontract, prē-kon-trakt′, v.t. to contract beforehand: to betroth previously.—n.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 3 of 4: N-R) by Various

In early times it was usual for the priest to betroth the pair formally in the name of the Blessed Trinity; and sometimes the banns were published at vespers, sometimes during mass.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 3, Part 1, Slice 3 "Banks" to "Bassoon" by Various

Love betroths to itself wisdom by preparing for it a house or bridal chamber, and marries it by conjoining it to itself by affections, and afterwards lives wisely with it in that house.

From Angelic Wisdom Concerning the Divine Love and the Divine Wisdom by Ager, John

Uncle Starodúm makes acquaintance with Mílon, whose good qualities he has learned through an old friend, and betroths him to Sophia.

From A Survey of Russian Literature, with Selections by Hapgood, Isabel Florence

He betroths himself oftener to the devil in one day than Mecaenas did in a week to his wife, that he was married a thousand times to.

From Character Writings of the 17th Century by Various

Cressida betroths herself to Troilus, a son of Priam, and vows eternal fidelity.

From Character Sketches of Romance, Fiction and the Drama, Vol. 1 A Revised American Edition of the Reader's Handbook by Brewer, Ebenezer Cobham

Before she has time to complete her arrangements, however, Buondelmonte betroths himself to a daughter of the house of Amidei.

From The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 01, No. 01, November, 1857 A Magazine of Literature, Art, and Politics by Various

The men, with their hands wrapped in satin white gloves, each held identical 14-karat gold rings for their betrothed.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 27, 2026

Was he supposed to be betrothed to him forever, and be a mantlepiece for folk music until his death?

From Salon ● Dec. 25, 2024

Just months ago, Ashanti confirmed that she and the “Hot in Herre” rapper, 49, were betrothed and expecting their first child together.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 2024

You’ve surely seen these pictures: The newly betrothed couple walking back down the aisle, the bride and groom graciously taking in their champagne toasts, a few dizzying iPhone videos from a crowded dance floor.

From Slate ● Apr. 13, 2024

Amari and Besa had been formally betrothed to each other last year.

From "Copper Sun" by Sharon M. Draper

But he coyly refrained from betrothing himself publicly to the growing Gaullist Union, headed by Ren� Capitant, which had announced that it would fight the constitution, put up candidates in the next elections.

From Time Magazine Archive

All the more necessary, in the opinion of the time, to prevent youths and maidens betrothing themselves without their parents' consent.

From The Age of the Reformation by Smith, Preserved

They had a ceremony of betrothing, which preceded that of marriage.

From Travels in the United States of America Commencing in the Year 1793, and Ending in 1797. With the Author's Journals of his Two Voyages Across the Atlantic. by Priest, William

Accordingly, the usual ceremonies of betrothing being over, he returned to his own city of Bethlehem, to set his house in order, and make the needful provisions for the marriage.

From Women of Early Christianity by Brittain, Alfred

On hearing this, her parents became greatly distressed, as they were averse to betrothing their daughter to a stranger of whom they knew nothing.

From Santal Folk Tales by Campbell, A.