Banns

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /bænz/

Definitions

1. A formal declaration made in a religious setting to announce an impending marriage
2. An official public notice, typically presented over several Sundays, to inform the congregation of a couple's intention to wed
3. A proclamation issued in a church or community to notify about a forthcoming wedding

Etymology: Banns is an alteration of "bans," the plural of "ban" in its older sense of a public proclamation or summons. The word is still used in the plural in the church tradition of announcing an intended marriage on several Sundays before the wedding, so the plural form has outlasted the singular in this meaning. The spelling with a double "n" is the form that stuck for the marriage announcement, while "bans" remains the older and more general spelling for proclamations of this kind.

Synonyms: announcement, proclamation, notice, declaration, marriage banns