Dictionary.com

nubile

[ noo-bil, -bahyl, nyoo- ]
/ ˈnu bɪl, -baɪl, ˈnyu- /
Save This Word!
See synonyms for nubile on Thesaurus.com
adjective
(of a young woman) suitable for marriage, especially in regard to age or physical development; marriageable.
(of a young person, usually a woman) sexually developed and attractive: the nubile girls in their bikinis.
QUIZ
SHALL WE PLAY A "SHALL" VS. "SHOULD" CHALLENGE?
Should you take this quiz on “shall” versus “should”? It should prove to be a quick challenge!
Question 1 of 6
Which form is used to state an obligation or duty someone has?
shall
should
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of nubile

First recorded in 1635–45; from Latin nūbilis, equivalent to nūb(ere) “to marry” + -ilis adjective suffix; see nuptial,-ile

OTHER WORDS FROM nubile

nu·bil·i·ty [noo-bil-i-tee, nyoo-], /nuˈbɪl ɪ ti, nyu-/, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

Words related to nubile

espousal, hymeneal, nuptial, spousal, conjugal, connubial, epithalamic, marital, matrimonial, adult, full-blown, grown, grown-up, in one's prime, marriageable, mature, of age, perfected, prime, ripened

How to use nubile in a sentence

  • And an even greater period passes between this epoch and the age it is proper for a man to marry,—his age of nubility.

    The Physical Life of Woman:|Dr. George H Napheys

  • That all this virility and nubility and glamor is pure coincidence?

    Masters of Space|Edward Elmer Smith

  • This we have already pointed out in speaking of the age of nubility.

    The Physical Life of Woman:|Dr. George H Napheys

  • Nubility is the age or state when a boy or a girl is "fit" for marriage.

    Woman|William J. Robinson

British Dictionary definitions for nubile

nubile
/ (ˈnjuːbaɪl) /
adjective (of a girl or woman)
ready or suitable for marriage by virtue of age or maturity
sexually attractive

Derived forms of nubile

nubility (njuːˈbɪlɪtɪ), noun

Word Origin for nubile

C17: from Latin nūbilis, from nūbere to marry
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
FEEDBACK