affiance

• POS: Noun, Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: af=fi=ance

CIDE DICTIONARY

affiance, n. [OE. afiaunce trust, confidence, OF. afiance, fr. afier to trust, fr. LL. affidare to trust; ad + fidare to trust, fr. L. fides faith. See Faith, and cf. Affidavit, Affy, Confidence.].

•  Plighted faith; marriage contract or promise.  [1913 Webster]
•  Trust; reliance; faith; confidence.  [1913 Webster]

  "Such feelings promptly yielded to his habitual affiance in the divine love."  [1913 Webster]

  "Lancelot, my Lancelot, thou in whom I have
  Most joy and most affiance."  [1913 Webster]

affiance, v. t. [Cf. OF. afiancier, fr. afiance.].

•  To betroth; to pledge one's faith to for marriage, or solemnly promise (one's self or another) in marriage.  [1913 Webster]

  "To me, sad maid, he was affianced."  [1913 Webster]
•  To assure by promise.  Pope.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

affiance, v.tr. (usu. in passive) literary promise solemnly to give (a person) in marriage.

Etymology

ME f. OF afiancer f. med.L affidare (as AD-, fidus trusty)

ROGET THESAURUS

affiance

Promise

N promise, undertaking, word, troth, plight, pledge, parole, word of honor, vow, oath, profession, assurance, warranty, guarantee, insurance, obligation, contract, stipulation, engagement, preengagement, affiance, betroth, betrothal, betrothment, promising, promissory, votive, under hand and seal, upon oath, promised, affianced, pledged, bound, committed, compromised, in for it, as one's head shall answer for, in for a penny in for a pound, ex voto, gage d'amour.

Hope

N hope, hopes, desire, fervent hope, sanguine expectation, trust, confidence, reliance, faith, affiance, assurance, secureness, security, reassurance, good omen, good auspices, promise, well grounded hopes, good prospect, bright prospect, clear sky, assumption, presumption, anticipation, hopefulness, buoyancy, optimism, enthusiasm, heart of grace, aspiration, optimist, utopian, utopist, castles in the air, castles in Spain, chateaux en Espagne, le pot aut lait, Utopia, millennium, day dream, golden dream, dream of Alnaschar, airy hopes, fool's paradise, mirage, fond hope, beam of hope, ray of hope, gleam of hope, glimmer of hope, flash of hope, dawn of hope, star of hope, cheer, bit of blue sky, silver lining, silver lining of the cloud, bottom of Pandora's box, balm in Gilead, light at the end of the tunnel, anchor, sheet anchor, mainstay, staff, heaven, hoping, in hopes, hopeful, confident, secure, sanguine, in good heart, buoyed up, buoyant, elated, flushed, exultant, enthusiastic, heartsome, utopian, unsuspecting, unsuspicious, fearless, free from fear, free from suspicion, free from distrust, free from despair, exempt from fear, exempt from suspicion, exempt from distrust, exempt from despair, undespairing, self reliant, probable, on the high road to, within sight of shore, within sight of land, promising, propitious, of promise, full of promise, of good omen, auspicious, de bon augure, reassuring, encouraging, cheering, inspiriting, looking up, bright, roseate, couleur de rose, rose-colored, hopefully, Int, God speed!, nil desperandum, never say die, dum spiro spero, latet scintillula forsan, all is for the best, spero meliora, every cloud has a silver lining, the wish being father to the thought, hope told a flattering tale, rusticus expectat dum defluat amnis, at spes non fracta, ego spem prietio non emo, un Dieu est ma fiance, hope! thou nurse of young desire, in hoc signo spes mea, in hoc signo vinces, la speranza e il pan de miseri, l'esperance est le songe d'un homme eveille, the mighty hopes that make us men, the sickening pang of hope deferred.

Marriage

VB marry, wive, take to oneself a wife, be married, be spliced, go off, pair off, wed, espouse, get hitched, lead to the hymeneal altar, take 'for better for worse', give one's hand to, bestow one's hand upon, marry, join, handfast, couple, tie the nuptial knot, give away, give away in marriage, seal, ally, affiance, betroth, publish the banns, bid the banns, be asked in church.