bridal
Americanadjective
noun
-
a wedding.
-
Archaic. a wedding feast.
adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of bridal
before 1100; Middle English bridale wedding feast, Old English brȳdealu, equivalent to brȳd bride 1 + ealu ale, i.e., ale-drinking; now taken as bride 1 + -al 1
Explanation
Use the adjective bridal to talk about a wedding or a bride. A bridal bouquet is the arrangement of flowers the bride carries during a wedding ceremony. Usually the word bridal describes anything having to do with a bride, like the bridal veil or the bridal party, or the bride's friends and family. Sometimes bridal refers to the newlywed couple, like the bridal suite they might stay in at a hotel on their honeymoon. Remember, bridal has nothing to do with horses — that's bridle, which sounds the same but means part of a harness.
Vocabulary lists containing bridal
Commonly Confused Words, List 2
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Commonly Confused Words, List 5
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Commonly Confused Words, List 7
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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’s not giving up her bridal dreams, but she’s absolutely done being played for a fool.
From Salon ● Jul. 6, 2026
Others are curious about the bridal party, wondering if Gomez and childhood friend Abigail Anderson Berard, who has been in multiple Swift music videos, will be part.
From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2026
That is forcing bridal stores to stock more dresses to accommodate last-minute weight fluctuations, leaving dressmakers on the hook for an increasing number of rush orders and hurried adjustments.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 25, 2026
I previously wrote to you about the problems I’m having with the maid of honor in my bridal party.
From MarketWatch ● Jan. 30, 2026
Ever the independent spirit, Mary eschewed the traditional all-white bridal gown for a shorter white dress with black sequins, topped off with black gloves, black pumps, and a red rose corsage.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
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.
