English · Idiom Historical

for better for worse

Preserved but no longer current.

Meaning · English

For ever. Frorn the English marriage service, expressive of an indissoluble union.

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.

Topics: Historical slang (1800s)

Common questions

What does “for better for worse” mean?

For ever. Frorn the English marriage service, expressive of an indissoluble union.

Is “for better for worse” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.

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