Breach of Promise
Preserved but no longer current.
A contract to marry is as binding in English law as any other contract, and if it is broken the party breaking it is liable to pay damages. The woman who breaks an engagement is just as liable in law as a man. In actions for breach of promise of marriage the plaintiff is entitled to the recovery of any pecuniary loss, such as the cost of a trousseau, and such sentimental or punitive damages as the jury may consider appropriate. See BETROTHAL.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Breach of Promise” mean?
A contract to marry is as binding in English law as any other contract, and if it is broken the party breaking it is liable to pay damages. The woman who breaks an engagement is just as liable in law as a man. In actions for breach of promise of marriage the plaintiff is entitled to the recovery of any pecuniary loss, such as the cost of a trousseau, and such sentimental or punitive damages as the jury may consider appropriate. See BETROTHAL.
Is “Breach of Promise” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.