domestic partner

American  

[duh-mes-tik pahrt-ner] / dəˈmɛs tɪk ˈpɑrt nər /

noun

1. either member of an unmarried, cohabiting heterosexual or gay couple whose relationship status grants certain legal rights and protections similar to those of spouses.

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Other Word Forms

• domestic partnership
  noun

Etymology

Origin of domestic partner

First recorded in 1975–80

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

domestic partner

Adding unpaid labor onto one’s daily workload is draining and, provided your domestic partner is open to ameliorating the imbalance, solvable.

From Salon ● Apr. 23, 2026

Goldberg then moved to the state Assembly in 2000 for six years, where she authored two state education bonds and domestic partner legislation that gave LGBTQ+ couples new rights.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 26, 2024

Such an order typically requires a court finding that the person “represents a credible threat” to a domestic partner.

From Slate ● Jun. 23, 2023

Another described a nurse referring to her domestic partner, now husband, as a “baby daddy.”

From New York Times ● May 6, 2023

But still, for a sober domestic partner, the new town is no ill companion to the ancient city on the hill.

From Royal Edinburgh Her Saints, Kings, Prophets and Poets by Reid, George