alimony
Americannoun
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Law. an allowance paid to a person by that person's spouse or former spouse for maintenance, granted by a court upon a legal separation or a divorce or while action is pending.
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supply of the means of living; maintenance.
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of alimony
First recorded in 1645–55; from Latin alimōnia “nourishment, sustenance,” from ali- (stem of alere “to feed, nourish, support”) + -mōnia -mony; cf. aliment
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Explanation
When a couple gets divorced, the court might order the one spouse to pay alimony to the other, which is like an allowance for basic expenses like food and shelter. Although these days we only use the word alimony when we talk about divorce, it comes from a Latin word alere, meaning to nourish. Traditionally it was the husband’s job to take care of his wife’s nourishment, and women raising children needed alimony payments to live on after a divorce or separation. Nowadays it might be the dad staying at home, and the working wife who pays alimony after a divorce.
Vocabulary lists containing alimony
Personal Finance and Financial Literacy - High School
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The Sun Also Rises
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"Hip Hop Planet" by James McBride
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
She said her alimony was low enough to make her eligible for food stamps.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 21, 2025
Buffett spelled it out in his 2014 letter to Berkshire shareholders with all the subtlety of a divorce lawyer explaining alimony.
From MarketWatch • Oct. 9, 2025
For Dorothy, her salary as a substitute teacher doesn’t let her build an adequate rainy day or retirement fund, even though she receives alimony from her ex-husband.
From Salon • Oct. 4, 2024
“Often alimony was awarded on the basis of that,” because typically “the economically weaker party is going to be the most harmed by divorce.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 24, 2024
It was a court order addressed to Jack So-and-so, informing him that if he didn’t pay his back alimony he would be in contempt and punishable.
From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
