husband
Americannoun
-
a married man, especially when considered in relation to his partner in marriage.
-
British. a manager.
-
Archaic. a prudent or frugal manager.
verb (used with object)
noun
-
a woman's partner in marriage
-
archaic
-
a manager of an estate
-
a frugal person
-
verb
-
to manage or use (resources, finances, etc) thriftily
-
archaic
-
(tr) to find a husband for
-
(of a woman) to marry (a man)
-
-
obsolete (tr) to till (the soil)
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
have husbandedperfect
-
has husbandedperfect 3rd person singular
-
am husbandingprogressive 1st person singular
-
have been husbandingperfect progressive
-
are husbandingprogressive
-
husbandingparticiple
-
has been husbandingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
-
is husbandingprogressive 3rd person singular
-
husbandssingular 3rd person
Past
-
had husbandedperfect
-
were husbandingprogressive plural
-
had been husbandingperfect progressive
-
was husbandingprogressive singular
-
husbandedsimple
-
husbandedparticiple
Future
Etymology
Origin of husband
before 1000; Middle English husband ( e ), Old English hūsbonda master of the house < Old Norse hūsbōndi, equivalent to hūs house + bōndi ( bō-, variant of bū- dwell ( see boor) + -nd present participle suffix + -i inflectional ending)
Explanation
A husband is a married man. Your grandfather might joke that he and your grandmother have been husband and wife for so long because she has the patience of a saint and he is deaf as a post. The word husband comes from the Old Norse hūsbōndi, where hūs meant house and bōndi meant dweller. As a verb, husband means to conserve resources and use them frugally. Because of the flooding in the area, roads are cut off and everyone is being asked to husband their supplies. This conservation of resources sense of husband also occurs in the related noun husbandry.
Vocabulary lists containing husband
The Taming of the Shrew
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Units 2–3
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"The Taming of the Shrew" by William Shakespeare, Induction
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Carrie Jenkins said the loss of her husband had been "devastating".
From BBC • Jun. 11, 2026
The issue appears to be what agreements Roberts’ late husband made when he bought the building more than 30 years ago.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 11, 2026
But what if you don’t have a husband?
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026
Related: ‘I feel like I’m living a lie’: My husband and I pretend we’re strapped for cash in front of friends.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 11, 2026
Aunt Betsy watched as her husband and the housekeeper shared a kiss.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
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.
