In the 1840s, was dating a thing or called that? Or were you only engaged to someone? What's it called if dating was a thing in the 1840s.?

Courting, wooing. But it didn't involve going to a movie or making out in the back seat of your dad's Chevy.

Dating as we know it was not a thing. The general process of meeting a potential spouse and getting to know them was called courtship. Courting was, in polite society, done under strict rules of etiquette. For a while, any contact would be under the watchful eye of the chaperone and done only with the woman's parents' approval. Physical contact was pretty much taboo outside of a dance.

It depends on where you are talking about.
Then, once you establish a local, you need to look at the class.
The wealthy, in most countries, has coming out seasons for the girls who came of age. The poor in England would parade in their respected areas of town as on display for properer suitors.
The problem came with the emerging middle class. They came around so fast that there was not really a tradition by the time they became part of the population.

Courting...

IT was not dating as we have known it in the last 75 years, or so.. It was more regimented and people participated in group activities much more then than now.

No such thing s dating, you " stepped out" with someone you liked, you were never alone with them,in the upper classes a marriage was often arranged and the couple were not alone until they married.

'Dating' was called 'walking out' - young, lower class couples literally went walking together in such leisure time as they had. In the upper classes a young man might be said to be 'making love' to a young lady, which then meant that he was trying to gain her attention rather than what you might think.'Courting' was also done by upper and lower classes.

in the 1840s, girls were normally chaperoned and not allowed to be alone with young men. They met men at social gatherings, dances, parties etc, but it was not cutsomary for a young man and girl to go out alone together, though a walk or a drive was acceptable. But social occasions gave plenty of opportunities for talking, flirtation etc. If a Young man had an interest in a particular girl he would ask permission to call on her at home, if she said yes he would know she liked him, but there would usually be someone in the vicinity keeping an eye on them. They might exchange small gifts like flowers, etc. In wales there was a custom for a young man to make a carved wooden 'love spoon' as a gift for a girl he was seriously interested in. Eventually, he might ask her to marry him, and it would be considered normal to ask her father's permission for her hand in marriage as well, though that was really only a formality, because if the parents didn't approve of the man, it wouldn't be likely to have got that far anyway, they would have discouraged him from calling. Girls who were living away from home, perhaps in domestic service, would have employers keeping an eye on them, likewise schoolteachers for instance if they were working away from home usually boarded with some respectable family, so there would always be someone keeping an eye on them. even the lowell mill girls for instance lived in boarding houses where they were supervised when not at work. everyone was aware of rhe possible unfortunate consequences of young unmarried girls being alone with young men, and on the whole steps were taken to avoid any such situation,

Depend on social status Watch Gone with the wind half the movie is about a love triangle

It depends on where youre talking about. I dont think the word dating was used but you did have something sort of like dsting although it was often more supervised (although not too supervised cause there were a lot of pregnant brides in the late 18th and early 19th centuries).

Yes

There was very active court society including balls and all sorts of social engagements--for people of class. Couples who were engaged could go laces together. There is always church. But getting engaged was no big deal, it could be broken. It is the adult thing to do. Of course the green-eyed monster & love can enter into it. Secret assignations? What is UR idea of a date?

Most parents arranged marriages, so dating wasn't a thing