prometido

Prometido is a Spanish term that functions as both an adjective and a noun. As an adjective, it means promised, pledged, or scheduled for a future event. As a noun, it denotes the person to whom someone is engaged to marry: the prometido (masculine) or la prometida (feminine). The plural forms are prometidos and prometidas.

Etymology: Prometido comes from the verb prometer, using the past participle suffix -ido, and essentially means something that has been promised.

Usage: In romantic contexts, the word commonly refers to the engaged partner. Examples: “Mi prometido vendrá mañana” or “Ella es mi prometida.” It can also function as an adjective in non-romantic uses, meaning something that has been promised or scheduled, such as “un acuerdo prometido” or “una fecha prometida.” In general, it should be distinguished from promesa (a promise) and from compromiso (commitment or engagement in different senses). The term is widely understood across Spanish-speaking countries, though the choice of terms for engaged partners may vary regionally, with “prometido” indicating engagement and “novio” referring to a non-engaged partner.

Notes: The word conveys both a legal-social status (engaged) and a sense of something that has been promised, depending on context. It is commonly used in everyday speech as well as in formal or literary language.