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.
Even without a prenuptial or, indeed, a postnuptial agreement, you can set up a trust for your sons.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 15, 2026
Matthew Price’s wardrobe for Ms. Sosanya could do as much to benefit the cause of unisex fashion as the Cathcarts strategy does to undermine the principle of the prenuptial agreement.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
After nearly 25 years of marriage, the couple are divorcing—and there is no prenuptial agreement, according to a person familiar with the situation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026
But in this week’s Don’t Short Yourself newsletter, Genna Contino explains why prenuptial agreements have become popular among young adults, and why she has decided to enter one before she gets married in 2028.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 11, 2026
Captain Alexander discovered a prenuptial joke just about then, and led the way over to the stove to crack it upon the colonel, and Vance went along to see fair play.
From A Daughter of the Snows by Jack London
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
