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Meaning of "breach of promise" in the English dictionary

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PRONUNCIATION OF BREACH OF PROMISE

breach of promise play
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GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF BREACH OF PROMISE

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
Breach of promise is a noun.
A noun is a type of word the meaning of which determines reality. Nouns provide the names for all things: people, objects, sensations, feelings, etc.

WHAT DOES BREACH OF PROMISE MEAN IN ENGLISH?

breach of promise

Breach of promise

Breach of promise or heart balm is a former common law tort. It was also called breach of contract to marry. From at least medieval times until the early 20th century, a man's promise of engagement to marry a woman was considered, in many jurisdictions, a legally binding contract. If the man were to subsequently change his mind, he would be said to be in "breach" of this promise and subject to litigation for damages. The converse of this was seldom true; the concept that "it's a woman's prerogative to change her mind" had at least some basis in law —and unless an actual dowry of money or property had changed hands, a man was only rarely able to recover in a "breach of promise" suit against a woman, were he even allowed to file one. Changing social morals have led to the decline of this sort of action. Most jurisdictions, at least in the English-speaking, common law world, have become increasingly reluctant to intervene in cases of personal relationships not involving the welfare of children or actual violence.

Definition of breach of promise in the English dictionary

The definition of breach of promise in the dictionary is failure to carry out one's promise to marry.

WORDS THAT BEGIN LIKE BREACH OF PROMISE

breach
breach of contract
breach of security
breach of the peace
breach of trust
breacher
bread
bread and butter
bread and circuses
bread and honey
bread basket
bread mould
bread poultice
bread pudding
bread roll
bread sauce
bread shop
bread-and-butter
bread-and-butter letter
bread-and-butter pudding

WORDS THAT END LIKE BREACH OF PROMISE

a lick and a promise
astronomise
atomise
autotomise
compromise
dichotomise
eglomise
epitomise
hysterectomise
mise
nephrectomise
oophorectomise
outpromise
overpromise
phlebotomise
pinealectomise
promise
sodomise
splenectomise
thymectomise
vasectomise

Synonyms and antonyms of breach of promise in the English dictionary of synonyms

SYNONYMS

Translation of «breach of promise» into 25 languages

TRANSLATOR
online translator

TRANSLATION OF BREACH OF PROMISE

Find out the translation of breach of promise to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.
The translations of breach of promise from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «breach of promise» in English.

Translator English - Chinese

违反承诺
1,325 millions of speakers

Translator English - Spanish

incumplimiento de la promesa
570 millions of speakers

English

breach of promise
510 millions of speakers

Translator English - Hindi

वादा के उल्लंघन
380 millions of speakers
ar

Translator English - Arabic

خرق الوعد
280 millions of speakers

Translator English - Russian

нарушение обещания
278 millions of speakers

Translator English - Portuguese

quebra de promessa
270 millions of speakers

Translator English - Bengali

প্রতিশ্রুতি লঙ্ঘন
260 millions of speakers

Translator English - French

rupture de promesse
220 millions of speakers

Translator English - Malay

Pelanggaran janji
190 millions of speakers

Translator English - German

Wortbruch
180 millions of speakers

Translator English - Japanese

約束不履行
130 millions of speakers

Translator English - Korean

약속의 위반
85 millions of speakers

Translator English - Javanese

Pelanggaran janji
85 millions of speakers
vi

Translator English - Vietnamese

vi phạm lời hứa
80 millions of speakers

Translator English - Tamil

வாக்குறுதி மீறல்
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Marathi

वचन मोडणे
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Turkish

Sözün ihlal edilmesi
70 millions of speakers

Translator English - Italian

violazione della promessa
65 millions of speakers

Translator English - Polish

złamanie obietnicy
50 millions of speakers

Translator English - Ukrainian

порушення обіцянки
40 millions of speakers

Translator English - Romanian

încălcare a promisiunii
30 millions of speakers
el

Translator English - Greek

παραβίαση της υπόσχεσης
15 millions of speakers
af

Translator English - Afrikaans

verbreking van die belofte
14 millions of speakers
sv

Translator English - Swedish

brott mot löfte
10 millions of speakers
no

Translator English - Norwegian

løftebrudd
5 millions of speakers

Trends of use of breach of promise

TRENDS

TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «BREACH OF PROMISE»

The term «breach of promise» is regularly used and occupies the 100.427 position in our list of most widely used terms in the English dictionary.
0
100%
FREQUENCY
Regularly used
53
/100
The map shown above gives the frequency of use of the term «breach of promise» in the different countries.
Principal search tendencies and common uses of breach of promise
List of principal searches undertaken by users to access our English online dictionary and most widely used expressions with the word «breach of promise».

FREQUENCY OF USE OF THE TERM «BREACH OF PROMISE» OVER TIME

The graph expresses the annual evolution of the frequency of use of the word «breach of promise» during the past 500 years. Its implementation is based on analysing how often the term «breach of promise» appears in digitalised printed sources in English between the year 1500 and the present day.

Examples of use in the English literature, quotes and news about breach of promise

EXAMPLES

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «BREACH OF PROMISE»

Discover the use of breach of promise in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to breach of promise and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.
1
A Breach of Promise: A William Monk Novel
A William Monk Novel Anne Perry. urgency to me, and to my present client, who may face ruin if I cannot defend him successfully.” Gabriel was still overcoming his self-consciousness and sense of vulnerability. This was the first time since his  ...
Anne Perry, 2010
2
Breach of Promise
New York Times bestselling author Perri O'Shaughnessy has created a wonderfully unique and unpredictable character in Nina Reilly, a tough, tenderhearted attorney and single mother who has been hailed by critics as "one of the most ...
Perri O'Shaughnessy, 2000
3
Breach of Promise/Presumed Guilty
Presumed guilty: Dallas Hamilton's perfect world is torn apart when her husband, a rising superstar in the evangelical world, is arrested for the murder of a porn star.
James Scott Bell, 2010
4
Breach of Promise
When local honey merchant Susan Fairford leases her home to a dashing young man named Phillip Stone, the whole town is whispering scandalous things. Original.
Elisabeth Fairchild, 2000
5
A Breach of Promise
On the night of her betrothal, Lydia Trent receives just a taste of what ecstasy will be at the hands of her fianc ...and then he leaves her wanting.
Victoria Vane, 2011
6
Broken Engagements: The Action for Breach of Promise of ...
Lettmaier explores ideals of femininity during the 19th and early 20th centuries by charting responses to broken engagements.
Saskia Lettmaier, 2010
7
Breach of Promise: Its History and Social Considerations (1879)
To Which Are Added A Few Pages On The Law Of Breach Of Promise And A Glance At Many Amusing Cases Since The Reign Of Queen Elizabeth.
Charles J. MacColla, 2010
8
Breach of Promise
When Rory Gallagher calls off his wedding to childhood sweetheart Kate Dowie, she vows never to return to the Wiltshire country estate that has been her family's home for generations.
Maria Barrett, 1998
9
Law and the Web of Society
Breach of Promise to Marry Because so many rights and benefits accrue from the marriage relationship, and because it is such a private decision that we have come to understand as our own individual prerogative, it is not surprising that ...
Cynthia L. Cates, Wayne V. McIntosh, 2001
10
Promises Broken: Courtship, Class, and Gender in Victorian ...
In May 1879 Farrer Herschell introduced a resolution in the House of Commons to abolish the action of breach of promise of marriage. One of the arguments he used to gain support for this resolution was that the class of suit did not have an ...
Ginger Suzanne Frost, 1995

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «BREACH OF PROMISE»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term breach of promise is used in the context of the following news items.
1
'Marriage Is a Human Institution; It Doesn't Come in One Shape That …
Not to mention the “breach of promise to marry” suits brought in response to broken engagements; they so clogged the 19th- and early ... «Pacific Standard, Jul 15»
2
Hazards of a bank runner
If he did not, the bank would write to him pointing out his breach of promise. If he sent no reply or replied rudely and omitted to repay, his debt ... «Calcutta Telegraph, Jul 15»
3
Mozartian madness, Gilbert & Sullivan Filipinized, and a tribute to …
... overacting, with triple threat Nazer Salcedo holding forth with aplomb as the playboy haled to court for “breach of promise and marriage.”. «Inquirer.net, Jul 15»
4
Prepare for an avalanche of apartment construction
Assuming the government rectifies its blatant breach of promise to the small business community, the pressure to call a poll early in 2016 will ... «The Australian, Jul 15»
5
Mediation in a rape case against dignity of a woman: Supreme Court …
... a non-negotiable offence and one cannot have any mediation except in the situation where the woman alleges breach of promise to marry. «Firstpost, Jul 15»
6
Sex on promise of marriage is not rape: HC
... "Having sex with a grown up lady on the assurance of marriage will not amount to rape; at best it is breach of promise under Section 417 of ... «Bangalore Mirror, Jun 15»
7
Historical lecture tells of love, betrayal and intrigue
Realizing she'd been lied too and used all along, she then sues the Congressman for breach of promise. In building the case for the defense, ... «Wiscasset Newspaper, Jun 15»
8
Madras HC grants rapist bail for 'mediation': Why this verdict makes …
... a non-negotiable offence and one cannot have any mediation except in the situation where the woman alleges breach of promise to marry. «Firstpost, Jun 15»
9
Criselda scrambles to marry
Kananda refuted allegations that she was contemplating suing the magazine for breach of promise. "I'm not going to do that. No individual is ... «Johannesburg Sunday World, Jun 15»
10
Susan B. Anthony for the New $10 Bill
The prosecutions on our courts for breach of promise, divorce, adultery, bigamy, seduction, rape; the newspaper reports every day of every year ... «First Things, Jun 15»

REFERENCE
« EDUCALINGO. Breach of promise [online]. Available <https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/breach-of-promise>. Apr 2024 ».
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