A betrothal is a formal agreement or promise that two people will marry each other. In many cultures throughout history, a betrothal was more serious than what we call an engagement today. It was often arranged between families and considered legally binding, almost like being married already, even though the wedding ceremony hadn't happened yet.

In medieval Europe, for example, a betrothal might happen when people were quite young, sometimes even children, with the actual marriage taking place years later. The families would make promises to each other, often involving property or political alliances. Breaking a betrothal was extremely difficult and sometimes required special permission from religious authorities.

You might encounter this word in historical novels or fairy tales. In Sleeping Beauty, Princess Aurora was betrothed to Prince Philip when they were both babies, meaning their families had already promised they would marry. When someone was betrothed, they were called the betrothed of their future spouse.

Today, most cultures use simpler engagements instead of formal betrothals, and couples choose their own partners. But the word still appears when describing historical marriage customs or in stories set in the past. Unlike modern engagements, which can be broken relatively easily, a betrothal carried serious legal and social consequences.