widower

American  

[wid-oh-er] / ˈwɪd oʊ ər /

noun

1. a man who has lost his spouse by death and has not remarried.

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widower British  

/ ˈwɪdəʊə /

noun

1. a man whose wife has died and who has not remarried

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Other Word Forms

• widowered
  adjective
• widowerhood
  noun

Etymology

Origin of widower

1325–75; late Middle English ( see widow, -er ¹); replacing widow (now dial.), Old English wydewa

Explanation

If your grandmother has died, you can call your grandfather a widower, or a man whose wife is no longer living. When a man loses his wife, he becomes a widower. The equivalent name for a woman whose husband dies is a widow. In many cases, a man is only referred to as a widower if he has not remarried. Both a widow and a widower are described as being widowed. The feminine form of this word came first, from the Old English widewe. The Indo-European root means "be empty," which perfectly describes the grief that many recent widowers feel.

Example Sentences

Widower James Smith, from Middlesbrough, who was part of the study has COPD, a serious lung condition.

From BBC • Sep. 6, 2023

Widower Susie switched off the boiler in March at her small bungalow, which she shares with her two dogs.

From BBC • Oct. 19, 2022

My advice to Widower is to let your heart be your guide.

From Washington Post • Jul. 1, 2021

Helen’s great love of these stories makes it an inspiring maxim for this, my final Widower of the Parish column.

From The Guardian • Apr. 22, 2017

The Stormcrows were represented by two seasoned sellswords, an archer named Jokin and the scarred and sour axeman known simply as the Widower.

From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin