prenuptial

American  

[pree-nuhp-shuhl, ‑chuhl] / priˈnʌp ʃəl, ‑tʃəl /

adjective

1. before marriage.

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prenuptial British  

/ -tʃəl, priːˈnʌpʃəl /

adjective

1. occurring or existing before marriage

   a prenuptial agreement

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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

First recorded in 1865–70; pre- + nuptial

Example Sentences

In addition to the wedding certificate, James signed a prenuptial agreement that Burden’s mother insisted upon.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 31, 2026

That’s on top of an in-house team of tax-and-estate lawyers, family governance specialists and even a marriage adviser who advises on prenuptial agreements and divorces.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026

Generally, a life estate trumps a prenuptial agreement, and a prenup trumps a will.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 3, 2026

The two had disagreements over money and he voided parts of their prenuptial agreement, according to people familiar with the matter.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 5, 2025

In his prenuptial meditations he had not clearly focussed the fact that even after marriage some sort of relations with Mr. and Mrs. Chaffery would still go on.

From Love and Mr. Lewisham by Wells, H. G. (Herbert George)