breach of promise

noun

Law.

1. a violation of one's promise, especially of a promise to marry a specific person.

breach of promise

noun

1. law (formerly) failure to carry out one's promise to marry

Word History and Origins

Origin of breach of promise¹

First recorded in 1580–90

Example Sentences

“In my view this is a breach of promise,” Habeck told reporters in Berlin.

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“A broken engagement was almost always a scandal, as it risked a woman’s reputation and meant a man might be sued for breach of promise,” Greig said.

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When he married Wing, Pollard retaliated with a “breach of promise” lawsuit, which enabled Victorian-era women to seek legal redress after a broken engagement.

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Then stuff happened, including the birth of two children, and a breach of promise suit that made headlines in 1893.

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“He had a breach of promise with a hairdresser, a widow, who came to Ann Arbor from St. Louis, Mich.”

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Related Words

• breach of trust