be·troth·al

(bĭ-trō′thəl, -trô′thəl)

1. The act of betrothing or the fact of being betrothed.

2. A mutual promise to marry; an engagement: announced their betrothal the next day.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

betrothal

(bɪˈtrəʊðəl)

1. engagement to be married

2. a mutual promise to marry

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

be•troth•al

(bɪˈtroʊ ðəl, -ˈtrɔ θəl)

n.

the act or state of being betrothed; engagement. Sometimes, be•troth′ment.

[1835–45]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun	1.	betrothal - a mutual promise to marry troth, engagement promise - a verbal commitment by one person to another agreeing to do (or not to do) something in the future ringing - the giving of a ring as a token of engagement
	2.	betrothal - the act of becoming betrothed or engaged espousal ritual, rite - any customary observance or practice

betrothal

noun (Old-fashioned) engagement, promise, vow, plight, espousal (archaic), troth, affiancing, betrothing, marriage contract The betrothal was secret.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

betrothal

noun

The act or condition of being pledged to marry:

engagement, espousal, troth.

Translations

خِطْبَه

zasnoubenízásnuby

forlovelse

Verlobung

accordailles fiancailles fiançailles

trúlofun

forlovelse troloving

zásnuby

nişanla ma

订婚

betrothal

[bɪˈtrəʊðəl] N (liter) → desposorios mpl

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

betrothal

[bɪˈtrəʊð^əl] n (old-fashioned) → fiançailles fpl

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

betrothal

n (obs, liter, hum) → Verlobung f

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

betrothal

[bɪˈtrəʊð/əl] n → fidanzamento

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

betroth

(biˈtrəuð) , ((American) biˈtrəuθ) verb

to promise in marriage. She was betrothed to her husband at the age of twenty.

beˈtrothal noun

beˈtrothed noun

the person to whom one is betrothed. May I introduce you to my betrothed?

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

Well, I at least resemble the disciples of Esculapius in one thing -- that of not being able to call a day my own, not even that of my betrothal."

View in context

The betrothal of Rosa grew out of the soothing of his year of mental distress by his fast friend and old college companion, Drood: who likewise had been left a widower in his youth.

View in context

No betrothal ceremony took place and Natasha's engagement to Bolkonski was not announced; Prince Andrew insisted on that.

View in context

To it she had come back joyfully after all her absences; at its window she had knelt through that night of bitter agony when she believed Gilbert dying, and by it she had sat in speechless happiness the night of her betrothal. Many vigils of joy and some of sorrow had been kept there; and today she must leave it forever.

View in context

Had not the betrothal of that memorable night been followed by the betrothal at the altar, by the vows before God!

View in context

Levin saw proofs of this in his dress, in the old-fashioned threadbare coat, obviously not his everyday attire, in his shrewd deep-set eyes, in his idiomatic, fluent Russian, in the imperious tone that had become habitual from long use, and in the resolute gestures of his large, red, sunburnt hands, with an old betrothal ring on the little finger.

View in context

Then the King took counsel with himself and sent an order to the Simpleton that he was to have a bath, in a bath-room at the royal palace, and after that the betrothal should take place.

View in context

But Tess's desire seemed to be for a perpetual betrothal in which everything should remain as it was then.

View in context

It was only that afternoon that May Welland had let him guess that she "cared" (New York's consecrated phrase of maiden avowal), and already his imagination, leaping ahead of the engagement ring, the betrothal kiss and the march from Lohengrin, pictured her at his side in some scene of old European witchery.

View in context

"My daughter weds whom I select, and even now I have practically closed negotiations for her betrothal to Prince Philip, nephew of King Louis of France.

View in context

Love was made on these occasions in the form of bracelets; and, on all occasions during the period of betrothal, took a manufacturing aspect.

View in context

I have to tell you, senor, that be has demanded me for a wife, and my father, led away by what he considers Don Fernando's superiority over you, has favoured his suit so cordially, that in two days hence the betrothal is to take place with such secrecy and so privately that the only witnesses are to be the Heavens above and a few of the household.

View in context