Meaning

(archaic) Of a man: to promise to take (a woman) as a future spouse; to plight one's troth to..

Definitions by Sense

1. (archaic) Of a man: to promise to take (a woman) as a future spouse; to plight one's troth to.
2. (archaic) Often of a parent or guardian: to promise that (two people) be married to each other; specifically and chiefly, to promise that (a woman) be given in marriage to a man; to affiance.
3. Of God: to enter into a relationship with (believers, or the church as a whole); also, of a priest: to pledge (himself) to the church prior to being consecrated as a bishop.
4. To pledge or promise oneself to (a cause); to espouse; also (sometimes reflexive), to pledge or promise (oneself or one's efforts) to a cause or to do something.

Example Sentences

And what man is there that hath betrothed a wife, and hath not taken her? let him goe and returne vnto his houſe, leſt he die in battel, and another man take her.

He betrothed his daughter to a distant relative.

The couple were betrothed not long after they met each other.

You to remoue that ſiege of griefe from her [Juliet] / Betrothd and vvould haue married her perforce / To Countie Paris.

To me, O Bacchus thou betrothedſt Heaven: / Ah me! for heaven vvhat dovvries here are given!

VVherefore let Chriſtiana look out ſome Damſels for her Sons, to vvhom they may be Betroathed, &c. that the Name of their Father, and the Houſe of his Progenitors may never be forgotten in the VVorld.

And in the ſixth month the angel Gabriel vvas ſent from God, unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin eſpouſed to a man, vvhoſe name vvas Joſeph, of the houſe of David, and the virgins name vvas Mary. […] [Note] 26, 27. Not married but betrothed.

[T]he Teſtimony of the Man and VVoman thus betrothed unto each other ſhall likevviſe be good Evidence of ſuch a Contract [of espousal], if they confeſs the ſame, ſince Eſpouſals are contracted by Conſent alone.

Word Forms

• betroths
• betrothing
• betrothed
• betrothen
• no-table-tags
• glossary
• betroth
• betrothest
• betrothedst
• betrothes
• betrotheth
• -

Synonyms for betroth

Related Words

When Should You Use Betroth?

Use betroth when its meaning, tone and grammar fit the full sentence. A synonym is not always a direct replacement.

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