Fiance
/fiˈɑːns(eɪ)/noun
A man to whom someone is engaged to be married.
Did you know?Fiancé comes from French fiancé, the past participle of fiancer, ultimately from Latin fidere, meaning “to trust,” so the word’s deepest root is trust, not love.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
fidere
“to trust; to have faith”
Late Latin
Latin
*fidantia
“trust, confidence”
Old French
Old French
fiancier
“to pledge in marriage; to betroth”
14th Century
French
fiancé
“betrothed man”
Modern English
English
fiancé
“a man engaged to be married”
Explore more surprising origins