nuptial

American  

[nuhp-shuhl, -chuhl] / ˈnʌp ʃəl, -tʃəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to marriage or the marriage ceremony.

   the nuptial day;

   nuptial vows.

2. of, relating to, or characteristic of mating or the mating season of animals.

   nuptial behavior.

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noun

1. Usually nuptials a wedding or marriage.

nuptial British  

/ -tʃəl, ˈnʌpʃəl /

adjective

1. relating to marriage; conjugal

   nuptial vows

2. zoology of or relating to mating

   the nuptial flight of a queen bee

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Pronunciation

The pronunciations and , by analogy with such words as mutual and actual, are not considered standard.

Related Words

See marriage.

Other Word Forms

• nuptially adverb
• quasi-nuptial adjective

Etymology

Origin of nuptial

First recorded in 1480–90; ( Middle French ) from Latin nuptiālis, equivalent to nupti(ae) “marriage, wedding,” derivative of nūbere “(of a woman) to marry” + -ālis adjective suffix; nubile

Explanation

You can describe something related to a wedding, or nuptials, using nuptial. You might go on a diet, getting ready for your nuptial day. After the wedding, you might experience nuptial bliss. It’s a little-known fact that zombies fear anything nuptial. The sight of wedding cakes, bridal processions, or spousal rites makes body parts fall away. Nuptial bliss turns the remaining parts to jelly. When the Zombie Army comes marching into your hometown, your best defense is to grab the nearest single girl or guy and find a minister. Just don’t forget to sign a prenuptial agreement: you don’t want to argue later about who gets the zombie artifacts.

Example Sentences

The Ancient Greek and Roman elite held multi-day nuptial feasts, a tradition that was carried into the Middle Ages when weddings served as important political and social transactions between countries and kingdoms.

From Salon • Apr. 12, 2024

Six months to the day after meeting at a Starbucks, Jane and I posed for nuptial photos by the fountain outside the county clerk’s office in Laguna Hills.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 2, 2023

When a male roach targets a female roach, he will back up to her, secreting a solution called a nuptial gift from the tergal gland under his wings.

From New York Times • Mar. 28, 2023

But the perfect wedding day almost didn’t come together for two families who traveled to the island for nuptial festivities that almost got derailed by Hurricane Ian’s landfall and aftermath.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 1, 2022

He was sleek and snowy and shining, like an eel preparing for its nuptial journey to the Sargasso Sea, for the time of Nimue was at hand.

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White