betrothal

  • 1Betrothal — • In the Catholic Church, a deliberate and free, mutual, true promise, externally expressed, of future marriage between determinate and fit persons Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006. Betrothal     Betrothal …

    Catholic encyclopedia

  • 2Betrothal — is a formal state of engagement to be married. Historically betrothal was a formal contract, blessed or officiated by a religious authority. Betrothal is no longer common beyond some Arab cultures, in Judaism and in Islam. In Jewish weddings the… …

    Wikipedia

  • 3Betrothal — Be*troth al, n. 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. The feast of betrothal. Longfellow. [1913 Webster] …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 4BETROTHAL — (Heb. שִׁדּוּכִין, shiddukhin). Definition In Jewish law shiddukhin is defined as the mutual promise between a man and a woman to contract a marriage at some future time and the formulations of the terms (tena im, see below) on which it shall… …

    Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • 5betrothal — (n.) 1844, from BETROTH (Cf. betroth) + AL (Cf. al) (2). Earlier in same sense were betrothment (1580s), betrothing (14c.) …

    Etymology dictionary

  • 6betrothal — [n] marriage affiancing, betrothing, engagement, espousal, plight, promise, troth, vow; concept 297 Ant. divorce, separation …

    New thesaurus

  • 7betrothal — [bē trôth′əl, bē trōth′əl, bi trôth′əl, bi trōth′əl] n. a betrothing or being betrothed; mutual pledge to marry; engagement …

    English World dictionary

  • 8betrothal — /bi troh dheuhl, traw theuhl/, n. the act or state of being betrothed; engagement. Also, betrothment. [1835 45; BETROTH + AL2] * * * ▪ marriage custom       promise that a marriage will take place. In societies in which premarital sexual… …

    Universalium

  • 9betrothal — n. 1) to announce a betrothal 2) a betrothal to * * * [bɪ trəʊð(ə)l] a betrothal to to announce a betrothal …

    Combinatory dictionary

  • 10betrothal — The first stage, usually at a young age, of the nuptial event: Gen. describes the betrothal and marriage of Rebecca and Rachel; the women were transposed from the custody of the father to a husband chattels at the disposal of men. And a wedding… …

    Dictionary of the Bible