husband

[huhz-buhnd]

noun

1. a married man, especially when considered in relation to his partner in marriage.

2. British.,  a manager.

3. Archaic.,  a prudent or frugal manager.

verb (used with object)

1. to manage, especially with prudent economy.

2. to use frugally; conserve.

   to husband one's resources.

   Synonyms: hoard, store, save, preserve

3. Archaic.

   1. to be or become a husband to; marry.

   2. to find a husband for.

   3. to till; cultivate.

husband

/ ˈhʌzbənd /

noun

1. a woman's partner in marriage

2. archaic

   1. a manager of an estate

   2. a frugal person

verb

1. to manage or use (resources, finances, etc) thriftily

2. archaic

   1. (tr) to find a husband for

   2. (of a woman) to marry (a man)

3. obsolete,  (tr) to till (the soil)

Other Word Forms

• husbander noun
• husbandless adjective
• unhusbanded adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of husband¹

before 1000; Middle English husband ( e ), Old English hūsbonda master of the house < Old Norse hūsbōndi, equivalent to hūs house + bōndi ( bō-, variant of bū- dwell ( boor ) + -nd present participle suffix + -i inflectional ending)

Word History and Origins

Origin of husband¹

Old English hūsbonda, from Old Norse hūsbōndi, from hūs house + bōndi one who has a household, from bōa to dwell

Example Sentences

He could have become a celebrity without breaking a sweat as the war hero, the jock, the husband, the cowboy, the American ideal made incarnate.

From Los Angeles Times

He said Mr Robinson's mother had seen a video of the suspect released a day after the shooting and told her husband it looked like their son.

From BBC

It would later be revealed this is when she met her next husband - actor Cary Grant - who is said to have stayed at the mansion with her.

From BBC

More recently, on June 14, 2025, Melissa Hortman, speaker emerita of the Minnesota House of Representatives, was shot and killed at her home, along with her husband and their golden retriever.

From Salon

"But I had a husband – and now I don't."

From BBC

Related Words

• companion 
• partner 
• spouse