spouse

[spous, spouz, spouz, spous]

noun

1. either member of a married pair in relation to the other; one's husband or wife.

verb (used with object)

spoused, spousing 

1. Obsolete.,  to join, give, or take in marriage.

spouse

noun

1. a person's partner in marriage

verb

1. obsolete,  (tr) to marry

Other Word Forms

• spousehood noun
• spouseless adjective
• unspoused adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of spouse¹

First recorded in 1150–1200; (for the noun) Middle English, from Old French spous (masculine), spouse (feminine), shortened from espous, espouse, from Latin spōnsus, spōnsa, literally, “pledged (man, woman),” noun uses of past participle of spondēre “to pledge”; (for the verb) Middle English spousen, from Old French esp(o)user; espouse

Word History and Origins

Origin of spouse¹

C12: from Old French spus (masculine), spuse (feminine), from Latin sponsus, sponsa betrothed man or woman, from spondēre to promise solemnly

Example Sentences

Kidman’s divorce filing, reviewed by The Times, shows different mailing addresses for the estranged spouses.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Amiryan’s spouse was shot in the leg; her two children in the backseat weren’t hit.

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The estranged spouses also signed a “Marital Dissolution Agreement” that includes a parenting plan, child support worksheet and a “Parenting Seminar Order,” according to TMZ, which broke the divorce news.

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It’s currently unclear whether the spouses will file for divorce.

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He says his troubles began after he applied for a fresh passport to include the name of his spouse this year.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• companion 
• domestic partner 
• husband 
• mate 
• partner 
• wife 

When To Use

What does spouse mean?

Someone’s spouse is the person who they’re married to—their partner in marriage.A spouse who’s a man is often called a husband, while a spouse who’s a woman is often called a wife. The word partner is a gender-neutral way to refer to one’s spouse. People most commonly use one of these terms when talking about or introducing their spouse, as opposed to using the word spouse. The word spouse is more commonly used in formal or official contexts, such as on forms that require family relations to be specified.An adjective form of spouse is spousal, meaning relating to or involving marriage, as in Does this insurance plan provide spousal coverage?Example: If you and your spouse file your taxes jointly, you may be eligible for certain rebates.