better half

American  

noun

1. a person's wife.

2. a person's husband.

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better half British  

noun

1. humorous one's spouse

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better half Idioms  

1. Also, better part . The larger amount or majority of something, as in I won't be long; the better half of this job is complete , or I have spent the better part of my life in this city . Sir Philip Sidney used the first term in Arcadia (1580): “I ... shall think the better half of it already achieved.” The variant appears in a well-known proverb, discretion is the better part of valor .

2. Also, my better half . One's (my) spouse, as in I'm not sure if we can go; I'll have to check with my better half . Originally this expression meant “a close friend or lover,” and by the 16th century it referred to either a wife or lover. Sidney used it in this way, again in Arcadia: “My dear, my better half (said he), I find I must now leave thee.” Today it tends to be used lightly for either husband or wife. “Late 1500s”

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Etymology

Origin of better half

First recorded in 1830–40

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

better half

Then my better half Stephen moved in — and with him, his knife roll.

From Salon ● Apr. 21, 2026

“Revenue and costs came in at the better half of their respective guidance ranges, significantly improving our financial performance throughout the quarter.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2025

"He doesn't cower. He never takes the path of least resistance. He always stands up for what's right," she said, calling her husband her "better half."

From Reuters ● Jun. 2, 2023

I’m telling you, if it was not for my better half, I don’t know what I would do.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 27, 2022

If your better half has two brothers, are they your brothers-in-law or your brother-in-laws!

From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner