connubial
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of connubial
First recorded in 1650–60; from Latin cōn(n)ūbiālis, equivalent to cōn(n)ūbi(um) “marriage” + -ālis adjective suffix; see origin at co-, nuptial, -al 1
Explanation
Use the adjective connubial to describe something that relates to marriage or to the relationship between spouses, such as connubial bliss or a connubial argument about who will take out the trash. Accent the second syllable in connubial: "ka-NEW-bee-ul." The Latin prefix con- means "together" and nubilis means "marriageable," which itself comes from nubere, meaning "take as husband." Nubere is also responsible for the word nubile, which was coined in the 1640s to describe a woman who was considered "marriage material." Today, it refers to a young, attractive woman.
Vocabulary lists containing connubial
Great Expectations
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Pride and Prejudice
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The Time Machine
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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.
Who would know better than Eliot that connubial happiness in the capital can sometimes cost a woman her reputation back in the Midlands?
From The Guardian ● Apr. 21, 2018
She has taken on her husband’s signature pout, in a connubial version of people who grow to look like their dogs.
From The New Yorker ● May 9, 2016
“Marry Him” is more measured than its explosive title suggests; and the Times piece at least allows that culture might play a role in how equality influences the connubial bed.
From Salon ● Feb. 20, 2014
Ms. Cattrall’s celebrity is the principal reason for what may seem like a premature revival of Coward’s 1930 comedy of connubial fisticuffs, which was staged to splendid advantage on Broadway only nine years ago.
From New York Times ● Nov. 18, 2011
The Lector, who never meant to be regarded as a special amateur of connubial sham-fights, had already taken himself off.
From Titan: A Romance Vol. II (of 2) by Jean Paul
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
