betrothed

word

Definition

'Betrothed' means someone who is engaged to be married; it refers to a person's fiancé or fiancée.

Usage & Nuances

Highly formal or literary; rarely used in casual speech. More common in historical texts. Usually refers to someone's fiancé/fiancée, gender-neutral. In modern use, 'engaged' or 'fiancé/fiancée' is preferred.

Example Sentences

Few people use the word 'betrothed' these days—it sounds very old-fashioned.

natural

She introduced her betrothed to the family.

basic

His betrothed lives in another city.

basic

They will wed next month; he is her betrothed.

basic

In the story, the princess defied her parents and ran off with her betrothed.

natural

You could tell by the way they looked at each other that they were betrothed.

natural