Definition and pronunciation
fiancée /fiˈɑnseɪ/ — noun: a woman who is engaged to be married.
Related: fiancé /fiˈɑnseɪ/ = a man who is engaged to be married.
Plural: fiancées (women), fiancés (men). Accents are standard in formal writing; many people drop them in casual US English.
Easy explanation
A fiancée is a future spouse—a woman who has agreed to marry someone. The period before the wedding is the engagement.
Grammatical formation
- Countable noun: a fiancée; two fiancées.
- Possessive: fiancée’s (“my fiancée’s phone”).
- Related verbs: get/be/remain engaged; propose; marry.
- Derivatives: ex-fiancée; former fiancée; fiancée visa (K-1 in US usage).
Meanings and nuances
- Woman engaged to be married (literal, neutral).
- Headlines sometimes use “fiancée of [person]” to identify someone by their partner’s fame—be mindful of tone and agency.
- In inclusive or gender-neutral writing, partner or intended spouse may be used.
With prepositions
- engaged to [person]: “She is engaged to Omar.”
- fiancée of [person] (headline/biographical): “Fiancée of the singer…”
- engaged in ≠ marital status (means “involved in,” different use).
- marry [person] (no preposition) vs married to [person] after the wedding.
Common collocations
bride-to-be, future wife, fiancée visa, announce their engagement, engaged to be married, engagement ring, engagement party, introduce my fiancée, former fiancée, his fiancée, her fiancée, meet the fiancée, long engagement, short engagement, break off the engagement
Idioms and neighboring expressions
pop the question, tie the knot (later), walk down the aisle, set the date, save the date, on/off again engagement, cold feet, wedding bells, better half, significant other, intended
Word comparisons
- fiancée vs fiancé: fiancée = woman; fiancé = man.
- fiancée vs bride: fiancée is before the wedding; bride is at the wedding.
- fiancée vs wife: wife is after marriage.
- fiancée vs partner/spouse: partner is gender-neutral and may be unmarried; spouse is married.
- fiancée vs girlfriend: girlfriend = dating; fiancée = formally engaged.
Real-life examples
- “She introduced Maya as her fiancée at the reunion.”
- “They announced that his fiancée will move in after the semester.”
- “The couple applied for a fiancée visa and set a spring date.”
Sample sentences
- “Have you met my fiancée?”
- “They got engaged last week; his fiancée is a teacher.”
- “Her fiancée designed the invitations.”
- “After a long engagement, the fiancée and fiancé finally chose a venue.”
- “He called off the wedding and is no longer her fiancée.”
- “My fiancée prefers a small ceremony.”
- “They’re engaged to be married next June.”
- “The article identified her only as ‘the actor’s fiancée.’”
- “She’s visiting on a fiancée visa.”
- “Their fiancée-fiancé duo planned the trip together.”
Synonyms
bride-to-be, intended, intended spouse, future wife, betrothed, prospective spouse, fiancée-to-be
Antonyms
ex-fiancée, single, unattached, wife (status after marriage), spouse (status after marriage)
Related terms
fiancé, engagement, betrothal, proposal, ring, save the date, wedding, bride, groom, spouse, partner, marriage license, registry, nuptials, elope
Connection to sexuality
Fiancée is not a sexual term. It describes a social/legal relationship stage before marriage. Conversations around engagements may touch on weddings or living arrangements, but the word itself carries no sexual meaning.
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