Banns (Noun)
Meaning
A public announcement of a proposed marriage.
Classification
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents.
Examples
- The couple had the banns of their marriage read out at their local church for the required three Sundays.
- The ancient tradition of publishing the banns of a proposed marriage dates back to the Middle Ages.
- Prior to the wedding, the banns were posted in the parish church and also printed in the local newspaper.
- The reading of the banns was a time-honored ritual that allowed anyone with objections to the marriage to come forward.
- In the absence of any objections, the banns having been published, the young lovers were free to tie the knot.