alimony

[ al-uh-moh-nee ]

/ ˈæl əˌmoʊ ni /

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noun

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.

supply of the means of living; maintenance.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of alimony

1645–55; <Latin alimōnia nourishment, sustenance, derivative of alimōn- (stem of alimō), equivalent to ali- (see aliment) + -mōn- action noun suffix parallel to -mentum-ment

OTHER WORDS FROM alimony

al·i·mo·nied, adjective

Words nearby alimony

aliment, alimentary, alimentary canal, alimentation, alimentative, alimony, à l'improviste, Ali, Muhammad, aline, alinotum, Alioth

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use alimony in a sentence

In her later years, Larsen worked as a nurse after her alimony from her then-ex-husband stopped after his death.
What To Know About the Novel Passing Before Watching the Netflix Movie|Cady Lang|November 12, 2021|Time
Some want to retain Social Security benefits or alimony from a former spouse.
Why Older Couples Don't Need Marriage to Have Great Relationships|Francine Russo|September 19, 2021|Time
Use this form for any income that isn’t subject to withholding, like earnings from self-employment, rent paid to you and alimony.
What Forms Do I Need to File My Taxes and Where Can I Get Them?|by Kristen Doerer for ProPublica and Karim Doumar|April 14, 2021|ProPublica
More specifically, she is using his death as a rallying cry for alimony reform and raising the question: Is alimony anti-feminist?
Is Alimony Anti-Feminist?|Keli Goff|August 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Today, New Jersey, Oregon, Vermont, Connecticut, North Carolina, West Virginia, and Florida all have lifetime alimony statutes.
Is Alimony Anti-Feminist?|Keli Goff|August 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“I am a fan of alimony reform and I am a fan of the law Massachusetts passed in 2011,” Wood told me.
Is Alimony Anti-Feminist?|Keli Goff|August 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And today, the critics of lifetime alimony are not just husbands and their new wives.
Is Alimony Anti-Feminist?|Keli Goff|August 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In the last three decades, courts have begun to apply gender parity to the awarding of alimony.
Is Alimony Anti-Feminist?|Keli Goff|August 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In Ireland the mother is not allowed to claim alimony herself—she must go into the workhouse and the guardians must sue for her.
Women's Wild Oats|C. Gasquoine Hartley
Until he had met Rue Carew he had taken measures to fight the statutory charges, hoping to involve Venem and escape alimony.
The Dark Star|Robert W. Chambers
In a recent suit for alimony a wealthy New Yorker complained that his wife used a diamond-studded watch for a golf tee.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 156, April 16, 1919|Various
Nothing in the nature of alimony, except the dwelling, is commonly given by either party to a divorce.
The Bontoc Igorot|Albert Ernest Jenks
The lady's lawyer thereupon moved for the appointment of a referee, as well as for counsel fee and alimony.
Danger! A True History of a Great City's Wiles and Temptations|William Howe

British Dictionary definitions for alimony

alimony

/ (ˈælɪmənɪ) /

noun

law (formerly) an allowance paid under a court order by one spouse to another when they are separated but not divorcedSee also maintenance

Word Origin for alimony

C17: from Latin alimōnia sustenance, from alere to nourish

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

alimony

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Origin of alimony

OTHER WORDS FROM alimony

Words nearby alimony

Words related to alimony

How to use alimony in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for alimony

Word Origin for alimony