sponsal

English

Etymology

From Latin sponsalis, from sponsus (“a betrothal”), from spondere, sponsum (“to betroth”). See spouse, and compare espousal, spousal.

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ɒnsəl

Adjective

sponsal (not comparable)

1. (obsolete) Relating to marriage, or to a spouse; spousal.
   • 1870, Lorenzo Altisonant [Samuel Klinefelter Hoshour], Letters to Squire Pedant in the East, 4th Edition, page 64,

     The sponsal munities I claim are the postnate: To be autocratix in the culinary department, synarchist in other departments of the domicile, and adespotic alibi; and to commonstrate the bairns not to be solifidians, nor nullifidians.

   • 1963 January, The Catholic Biblical Quarterly, volume 25, Catholic Biblical Association of America, page 455:

     Boniface Llamera, St. Joseph (Herder, 1961), better preserves the primary character of the sponsal relationship when he writes: "The entire theology of St. Joseph (Josephology) has one first and principal basis: the marriage which united him to Mary."

   • 1993, Liam Gavin, transl., edited by Michel Forsé, Jean-Pierre Jaslin, Yannick Lemel, Henri Mendras, Denis Stoclet, and Jean-Hugues Déchaux, Recent Social Trends in France, 1960-1990, McGill-Queen's University Press, page 70:

     This leads to diversity in the types of sponsal relationships.

Synonyms

• (pertaining to marriage): nuptial

Anagrams

• plasson