nuptial
Americanadjective
-
of or relating to marriage or the marriage ceremony.
the nuptial day;
nuptial vows.
-
of, relating to, or characteristic of mating or the mating season of animals.
nuptial behavior.
noun
adjective
-
relating to marriage; conjugal
nuptial vows
-
zoology of or relating to mating
the nuptial flight of a queen bee
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; cf. 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.
Vocabulary lists containing nuptial
A Midsummer Night's Dream
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "N"
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"The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet," Vocabulary from Act 1
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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.
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
In an exclusive interview with People, Underwood and Hart spoke about the process of their wedding planning and the nuptial day itself.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 26, 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
She was hard as iron, saying that her nuptial chamber should not be subjected to the stench of the sea-bottom that accompanied this penniless wretch.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson
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.
