Betrothed

Part of speech: adjective, noun

Pronunciation: /bɪˈtɹəʊðd/

Definitions

1. A person engaged to marry is known as one who has entered a formal commitment to another
2. An individual engaged to another is typically identified as being promised in marriage to that person
3. A person who is promised to another in marriage is often referred to as someone who has made a binding engagement for a future union

Etymology: "Betrothed" is the past participle of "betroth," which was formed by adding the prefix "be-" to the older verb "troth," meaning a pledge or solemn promise of faithfulness. Originally "troth" was a word for truth and trustworthiness, so to betroth someone was to bind them with a sworn pledge. The "-ed" ending turns that verb into the adjective and noun we use for a person already promised in marriage. The word's second life as a noun for the person being promised is the part that surprises many readers. The adjective came first, describing the state of being pledged, and the noun for the person grew out of it later, so a betrothed is literally someone who has been made the subject of a troth. The "be-" prefix works like the one in "befriend" or "bewitch," adding a sense of making someone into something.

Synonyms: engaged, affianced

Antonyms: unengaged, single