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
He’s talking about engagement and beyond, but he might as well be describing the act of watching this grating round robin of connubial dysfunction and romantic disappointment.
From New York Times • Nov. 30, 2012
Long after Henry Mills had gone to his connubial pillow I remained walking up and down in my room in a state of intense, inarticulate excitement.
From A Woman of Genius by Austin, Mary Hunter
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.
