different between boyfriend vs fiance

English

Alternative forms

• boy friend (dated)
• boy-friend (dated)

Etymology

From boy +? friend.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /?b???f??nd/, /?b??f??nd/

Noun

boyfriend (plural boyfriends)

1. A male partner in an unmarried romantic relationship.

   Coordinate terms: fiancé, girlfriend, husband, lover, significant other
2. A male friend.

   Synonyms: (slang) guyfriend, buddy, pal, mate; see also Thesaurus:friend

Usage notes

In contrast to its female equivalent, girlfriend, which is also often used to describe a woman's close female friends, the term is not that often used in reference to non-romantic relationships. Boyfriend is a relatively modern term, and in the past has had implications of an illicit relationship (as sexual and romantic relationships outside marriage were more commonly frowned upon). It is now a generally accepted term and has no negative implications per se.

An adult man in a non-marital relationship is sometimes referred to instead as a significant other or partner, especially if the two partners are living together. Because boyfriend and partner mean different things to different people, the distinctions between the terms are subjective, and which term is used in a relationship will ultimately be determined by personal preference.

Separating the word into its two components boy friend avoids the romantic implication nowadays, although boy friend used to mean the same as boyfriend does now. However, British and Australian men usually refer to a male friend as a mate. Similarly, Americans and Canadians use the term buddy.

Derived terms

• boyfriendable

Descendants

• ? Hindi: ?????????? (b?yfre??)
• ? Japanese: ??????? (b?ifurendo)
• ? Korean: ????? (boipeurendeu)
• ? Russian: ????????? (bojfr??nd)
• ? Urdu: ??????????? (bayfren?)

Translations

Anagrams

• friend boy, friendboy

Finnish

Noun

boyfriend

1. (rare) boyfriend

Declension

Synonyms

• poikakaveri
• poikaystävä

English

Etymology

From French fiancé. The verb is from fiancer.

Noun

fiance (plural fiances)

1. Alternative spelling of fiancé

Verb

fiance (third-person singular simple present fiances, present participle fiancing, simple past and past participle fianced)

1. (obsolete) To betroth; to affiance.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Harmar to this entry?)

   • 1993 Cindy Holbrook, A Daring Deception, page 91

     he should become so lusty over a lady of such questionable motives? He was fianced, after all. Perhaps that was it. Since his engagement, he had abstained from any liaisons, feeling it was only proper in a man soon to be married

Anagrams

• fancie

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fj??s/
• Rhymes: -??s

Etymology 1

From Middle French fiance, from Old French fiance, from fier +? -ance.

Noun

fiance f (plural fiances)

1. (obsolete) faith; confidence

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the main entry.

Verb

fiance

1. first-person singular present indicative of fiancer
2. third-person singular present indicative of fiancer
3. first-person singular present subjunctive of fiancer
4. third-person singular present subjunctive of fiancer
5. second-person singular imperative of fiancer

Further reading

• “fiance” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Middle French

Etymology

From Old French < fier +? -ance or Latin fidentia.

Noun

fiance f (plural fiances)

1. faith; confidence

Synonyms

• foy

Old French

Alternative forms

• fïance (occasional scholarly form)

Etymology

From the verb fier +? -ance or from Latin fidentia.

Noun

fiance f (oblique plural fiances, nominative singular fiance, nominative plural fiances)

1. faith; confidence

Synonyms

• foi