Fiance Comes From the Word for Trust
A fiance is a man engaged to be married. The French root means to promise, from the same source as confidence.
A fiance is a man engaged to be married; a fiancĂ©e is a woman. The word is the past participle of French *fiancer*, to betroth, from Latin *fidere*, to trust. That root runs through *confidence*, *fidelity*, *faith* and *affidavit* â an engagement is, etymologically, an act of trust registered in advance.
- A man engaged to marry. *Her fiance.*
- FiancĂ©e â a woman engaged to marry. *His fiancĂ©e.*
- Engagement â the state of being betrothed. *A long engagement.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | fiancé | Her fiancé. |
| Feminine | fiancée | His fiancée. |
| Plural | fiancés | Two fiancés. |
| Related | fidelity | Marital fidelity. |
| Related | confide | Confide in a friend. |
How it is used in a sentence
- She introduced her fiancé.One E for a man.
- He introduced his fiancée.Two Es for a woman.
- Betrothed is the older English word.Now archaic.
Words from *fidere*, to trust
- FiancĂ© â one who has promised
- Confidence â trust with someone
- Fidelity â faithfulness
- Affidavit â he has sworn on trust
- Bona fide â in good faith
From French *fiancé*, past participle of *fiancer*, to betroth, from Old French *fiance*, a promise, from Latin *fidere*, to trust.
Fiancé or fiancée?
One E for a man, two for a woman. French marks the feminine with an extra E.
Are fiancé and confident related?
Yes. Both build on Latin *fidere*, to trust. An engagement is a mutual trust declared.