prenuptial
Americanadjective
adjective
Pronunciation
See nuptial.
Usage
What does prenuptial mean? Prenuptial means before marriage. Prenuptial is most commonly used in the term prenuptial agreement, which refers to a legal contract entered into by a couple before marriage that specifies things like the division of their finances and assets, especially in case the marriage ends, such as through divorce. It is commonly called a prenup for short. Example: Everyone thought it was strange that we had a prenuptial agreement, but life is unpredictable.
Etymology
Origin of prenuptial
Explanation
Anything that's prenuptial happens before two people get married. A common prenuptial superstition is that a couple shouldn't see each other on the day of their wedding until they're actually walking down the aisle. You're most likely to find this adjective in the legal term "prenuptial agreement," or prenup for short. This friendly-sounding phrase describes a legal contract signed by two people before their marriage, in which they agree to certain terms if they eventually get divorced. A prenuptial agreement might include details of dividing money or property, for example. Pre- means "before," and nuptial comes from the Latin nuptiae, "wedding."
Vocabulary lists containing prenuptial
Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Prefixes: pre-
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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 breakup of the Overdecks is a high-profile example of how messy a divorce can get, especially at upper-income levels, when the two sides don’t have a prenuptial agreement.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026
Having a prenuptial agreement — or, in this case, a postnuptial agreement — would be much preferable to relying on either your friend or her husband keeping their word after the other person dies.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 30, 2026
Do you think this prenuptial agreement is still fair given our circumstances?
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
If prenuptial agreements were similarly mandatory, the process would be more straightforward and less costly than it is today.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026
He regretted that he had cut off his queue to please Stella Allendale in the prenuptial days, and he seriously considered the advisability of shaving his crown and growing a new one.
From The House of Pride, and Other Tales of Hawaii by Jack London
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.
