SG Heritage Dictionary

Betroth [Verb transitive] Webster's Dictionary 1828

1. To contract to any one, in order to a future marriage; to promise or pledge one to be the future spouse of another; to affiance; used of either sex. 'The father betroths his daughter.'

2. To contract with one for a future spouse; to espouse; as, a man betroths a lady.

3. To nominate to a bishopric, in order to consecration.

Betroth [Verb transitive] Webster's Dictionary 1913

1. To contract to any one for a marriage; to engage or promise in order to marriage; to affiance; -- used esp. of a woman.

2. To promise to take (as a future spouse); to plight one's troth to.

3. To nominate to a bishopric, in order to consecration.

Betrothal [Noun] Webster's Dictionary 1913

The act of betrothing, or the fact of being betrothed; a mutual promise, engagement, or contract for a future marriage between the persons betrothed; betrothment; affiance.

Betrothed [Participle passive] Webster's Dictionary 1828

Contracted for future marriage.

Betrothed [Imperfect tense and past participle] Webster's Dictionary 1913

of Betroth

Betrothing [Participle present tense] Webster's Dictionary 1828

Contracting to any one, in order to a future marriage, as the father or guardian; contracting with one for a future wife, as the intended husband; espousing.

Betrothing [Present participle and verbal noun] Webster's Dictionary 1913

of Betroth

Betrothment [Noun] Webster's Dictionary 1828

A mutual promise or contract between two parties, for a future marriage between the persons betrothed; espousals.

Betrothment [Noun] Webster's Dictionary 1913

The act of betrothing, or the state of being betrothed; betrothal.

Betrothment Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary

a mutual promise or compact between two parties for a future marriage. The word imports as much as giving one’s troth; that is, true faith, or promise. Among the ancient Jews, the betrothing was performed either by a writing, or by a piece of silver given to the bride. After the marriage was contracted, the young people had the liberty of seeing each other, which was not allowed them before. If, after the betrothment, the bride should trespass against that fidelity she owed to her bridegroom she was treated as an adulteress. See MARRIAGE.

Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary
[94 words — estimated reading time: 1 minute]

Promise Roget’s Thesaurus §768

N. promise, undertaking, word, troth, plight, pledge, parole, word of honor, vow, oath, profession, assurance, warranty, guarantee, insurance, obligation, contract, stipulation, engagement, preengagement, affiance, betroth, betrothal, betrothment

V. promise, give a promise, undertake, engage, make an engagement, form an engagement, enter into an engagement, enter on an engagement, bind oneself, tie oneself, pledge oneself, commit oneself, take upon oneself, vow, swear, give one's word, pass one's word, pledge one's word, plight one's word, give one's honor, pass one's honor, pledge one's honor, plight one's honor, give credit, pass credit, pledge credit, plight credit, give troth, pass troth, pledge troth, plight troth, betroth, plight faith, assure, warrant, guarantee, covenant, attest, hold out an expectation, contract an obligation, become bound to, become sponsor for, answer for, be answerable for, secure, give security, underwrite, adjure, administer an oath, put to one's oath, swear a witness

Adj. promising, promissory, votive, under hand and seal, upon oath, promised, affianced, pledged, bound, committed, compromised, in for it

Adv. as one's head shall answer for

Phr. in for a penny in for a pound, ex voto, gage d'amour

Marriage Roget’s Thesaurus §903

N. marriage, matrimony, wedlock, union, intermarriage, miscegenation, the bonds of marriage, vinculum matrimonii, nuptial tie, married state, coverture, bed, cohabitation, match, betrothment, wedding, nuptials, hymen, bridal, espousals, spousals, leading to the altar, nuptial benediction, epithalamium, sealing, torch of hymen, temple of hymen, hymeneal altar, honeymoon, bridesmaid, bridesman, best man, bride, bridegroom, married man, married woman, married couple, neogamist, benedict, partner, spouse, mate, yokemate, husband, man, consort, baron, old man, good man, wife of one's bosom, helpmate, rib, better half, gray mare, old woman, old lady, good wife, goodwife, feme, feme coverte, squaw, lady, matron, matronage, matronhood, man and wife, wedded pair, darby and joan, spiritual wife, monogamy, bigamy, digamy, deuterogamy, trigamy, polygamy, mormonism, levirate, spiritual wifery, spiritual wifeism, polyandrism, turk, bluebeard, unlawful marriage, left-handed marriage, morganatic marriage, ill- assorted marriage, mesalliance, mariage de convenance, marriage broker, matrimonial agency, matrimonial agent, matrimonial bureau, matchmaker, schatchen

V. marry, wive, take to oneself a wife, be married, be spliced, go off, pair off, wed, espouse, get hitched, lead to the hymeneal altar, take "for better for worse", give one's hand to, bestow one's hand upon, marry, join, handfast, couple, tie the nuptial knot, give away, give away in marriage, seal, ally, affiance, betroth, publish the banns, bid the banns, be asked in church

Adj. married, one, one bone and one flesh, marriageable, nubile, engaged, betrothed, affianced, matrimonial, marital, conjugal, connubial, wedded, nuptial, hymeneal, spousal, bridal

Phr. the gray mare the better horse, "a world-without-end bargain", "marriages are made in heaven", "render me worthy of this noble wife", si qua voles apte nubere nube pari

King James Bible KJV Bible

Berean Standard Bible BSB Bible

13 KJV and 6 BSB verses contain “Betroth”

Exodus 21:8

If she please not her master, who hath betrothed her to himself, then shall he let her be redeemed: to sell her unto a strange nation he shall have no power, seeing he hath dealt deceitfully with her.

If she is displeasing in the eyes of her master who had designated her for himself, he must allow her to be redeemed. He has no right to sell her to foreigners, since he has broken faith with her.

Exodus 21:9

And if he have betrothed her unto his son, he shall deal with her after the manner of daughters.

And if he chooses her for his son, he must deal with her as with a daughter.

Exodus 22:16

And if a man entice a maid that is not betrothed, and lie with her, he shall surely endow her to be his wife.

If a man seduces a virgin who is not pledged in marriage and sleeps with her, he must pay the full dowry for her to be his wife.

Leviticus 19:20

And whosoever lieth carnally with a woman, that is a bondmaid, betrothed to an husband, and not at all redeemed, nor freedom given her; she shall be scourged; they shall not be put to death, because she was not free.

If a man lies carnally with a slave girl promised to another man but who has not been redeemed or given her freedom, there must be due punishment. But they are not to be put to death, because she had not been freed.

Deuteronomy 20:7

And what man is there that hath betrothed a wife, and hath not taken her? let him go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man take her.

Has any man become pledged to a woman and not married her? Let him return home, or he may die in battle and another man marry her.”

Deuteronomy 22:23

If a damsel that is a virgin be betrothed unto an husband, and a man find her in the city, and lie with her;

If there is a virgin pledged in marriage to a man, and another man encounters her in the city and sleeps with her,

Deuteronomy 22:25

But if a man find a betrothed damsel in the field, and the man force her, and lie with her: then the man only that lay with her shall die:

But if the man encounters a betrothed woman in the open country, and he overpowers her and lies with her, only the man who has done this must die.

Deuteronomy 22:27

For he found her in the field, and the betrothed damsel cried, and there was none to save her.

When he found her in the field, the betrothed woman cried out, but there was no one to save her.

Deuteronomy 22:28

If a man find a damsel that is a virgin, which is not betrothed, and lay hold on her, and lie with her, and they be found;

If a man encounters a virgin who is not pledged in marriage, and he seizes her and lies with her, and they are discovered,

Deuteronomy 28:30

Thou shalt betroth a wife, and another man shall lie with her: thou shalt build an house, and thou shalt not dwell therein: thou shalt plant a vineyard, and shalt not gather the grapes thereof.

You will be pledged in marriage to a woman, but another man will violate her. You will build a house but will not live in it. You will plant a vineyard but will not enjoy its fruit.

2 Samuel 3:14

And David sent messengers to Ish-bosheth Saul’s son, saying, Deliver me my wife Michal, which I espoused to me for an hundred foreskins of the Philistines.

Then David sent messengers to say to Ish-bosheth son of Saul, “Give me back my wife, Michal, whom I betrothed to myself for a hundred Philistine foreskins.”

Hosea 2:19

And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies.

So I will betroth you to Me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in loving devotion and compassion.

Hosea 2:20

I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the LORD.

And I will betroth you in faithfulness, and you will know the LORD.”

1 Corinthians 7:36

But if any man think that he behaveth himself uncomely toward his virgin, if she pass the flower of her age, and need so require, let him do what he will, he sinneth not: let them marry.

However, if someone thinks he is acting inappropriately toward his betrothed, and if she is beyond her youth and they ought to marry, let him do as he wishes; he is not sinning; they should get married.

1 Maccabees 3:56

But as for such as were building houses, or had betrothed wives, or were planting vineyards, or were fearful, those he commanded that they should return, every man to his own house, according to the law.