betrothed

1 of 2

adjective

: engaged to be married
a betrothed couple
… clasped hands, signifying the bond between betrothed men and women …Mary Feilden
For three years she and Emilio Estevez were an item and were even betrothed for a time.People Weekly
(old-fashioned) her betrothed husband [=her fiancé; the man to whom she is engaged]

betrothed

2 of 2

noun

: the person to whom someone is engaged to be married
… she put on her grey silk gown and her cherry coloured ribbon with as much care as if she had been herself the betrothed.George Eliot
On this occasion he showed no affectionate desire to embrace his betrothed.Anthony Trollope

Examples of betrothed in a Sentence

Adjective a splendid party in honor of the betrothed couple Noun he gazed lovingly at his betrothed throughout the dinner
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
El Moussa's then-fiancée (now wife), Selling Sunset realtor Heather Rae Young, has a surprising connection to Hall, and the betrothed pair have even met him several times. Diane J. Cho, Peoplemag, 11 July 2023 After being crowned King on last week's episode, Wednesday's Comedy Roast Night saw the betrothed pink dinosaur get the boot. Lauren Huff, EW.com, 17 Nov. 2022
Noun
Parallel shenanigans and romances ensue: Stacy falls in love with Margaret’s betrothed, Prince Edward of Belgravia, and Margaret goes head-over-heels for Stacy’s best friend, Kevin. Laura Bradley, Vulture, 5 Dec. 2024 Isildur and Estrid enjoy a meaningful moment by the fountain (though Isildur does acknowledge the existence of her betrothed). Keith Phipps, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for betrothed 

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

from past participle of betroth

Noun

noun derivative of betrothed entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

1557, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1594, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of betrothed was in 1557

Dictionary Entries Near betrothed

Cite this Entry

“Betrothed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/betrothed. Accessed 13 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

betrothed

noun
be·​trothed -ˈträtht How to pronounce betrothed (audio) -ˈtrȯtht How to pronounce betrothed (audio)
-ˈtrōt͟hd
: the person to whom one is betrothed

More from Merriam-Webster on betrothed

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!