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What does “fidanzata” mean in Italian?

In Italian, fidanzato (a man) and fidanzata (a woman) cover a lot of ground. The word can mean someone you plan to marry, but it just as often means a steady boyfriend or girlfriend with no wedding in sight. The word itself does not set the level of commitment — context and tone do that. To name the partner you say fidanzata con someone or il fidanzato di someone.

A young woman introduces herself and says “Sono fidanzata con Marino” — “I’m together with Marino.” Later Marino calls himself “il fidanzato di Giovanna” and adds “Voglio sposare Giovanna quest’anno” (“I want to marry Giovanna this year”), so here the couple really is engaged. But drop that wedding line and the same word would simply mean they are a couple. Related forms: fidanzarsi (to start going steady / get engaged) and il fidanzamento (the engagement). The root is fidanza, an old word for “trust” or “pledge,” from Latin fides (“faith, trust”) — the same family as fidarsi, “to trust.” So at heart it points to two people who have committed to each other, however far that commitment has gone.