betrothed
Americanadjective
noun
adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of betrothed
Explanation
Betrothed means "formally engaged." If you are betrothed, then, congratulations! As they say in the song, you’re going to the chapel — you’re going to get married. Betrothed came into English through a combination of bi-, or "thoroughly," and treowðe, the Old English word for "truth, a pledge." If you are betrothed, you are completely and formally pledged to someone. Betrothed has a slightly more old fashioned and formal feel than its synonym engaged, but both describe people who are between "Will you marry me?" and "I do."
Vocabulary lists containing betrothed
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "B"
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A Midsummer Night's Dream
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The two formidable women in Cal’s life—Lena, his betrothed, and Trey, his teenage protégée—suspect that Rachel was silenced.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026
Day trader Alex Henderson confuses his betrothed Ashley Carpenter with a shifting backstory involving frequent moves and overlapping dating histories, all attributed to his “nomadic lifestyle.”
From Salon • Mar. 8, 2026
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
The year after she married, Andrej was betrothed to a clerk’s daughter; he later married her and became a Lutheran priest.
From New York Times • Feb. 12, 2024
She wondered how her betrothed would take that.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
