spousal

[spou-zuhl]

noun

1. Often spousals. the ceremony of marriage; nuptials.

adjective

1. nuptial; matrimonial.

spousal

/ ˈspaʊzəl /

noun

1. (often plural)

   1. the marriage ceremony

   2. a wedding

adjective

1. of or relating to marriage

Other Word Forms

• spousally adverb
• interspousal adjective
• interspousally adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of spousal¹

1250–1300; Middle English spousaille, aphetic variant of espousaille espousal

Example Sentences

When we contacted the company for my mother-in-law’s spousal pension benefits, we received paperwork for a — you guessed it — life-insurance policy.

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When a spouse is eligible for their own benefit as well as a spousal benefit, the Social Security Administration will pay out the higher of the two options.

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The sergeant said the department did not start reporting certain spousal abuse cases to the state until after Ramirez was terminated in early February 2024.

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To qualify, you must have been married for at least 10 years and be unmarried at the time of your application for spousal benefits.

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He cited irreconcilable differences and requested spousal support.

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When To Use

What does spousal mean?

Spousal means relating to or involving marriage. The word marital can often be used to mean the same thing.Spousal is an adjective form of spouse—the person who someone is married to (their partner in marriage).A spouse who’s a man is often called a husband, while a spouse who’s a woman is often called a wife. The word partner is a gender-neutral way to refer to one’s spouse. People most commonly use one of these terms when talking about or introducing their spouse, as opposed to using the word spouse. The word spouse is more commonly used in formal or official contexts, such as on forms that require family relations to be specified.Spousal is used in terms referring to such relationships or situations involving them, such as spousal benefits and spousal counseling.Sadly, one of the most common uses of spousal is in the term spousal abuse, which specifically refers to abuse of the person that one is married to. (The broader term domestic abuse typically refers to abuse of someone within one’s household.)Much less commonly, spousal can be used as a noun, especially in the plural form spousals, meaning a marriage ceremony. The word nuptials means the same thing but is much more common.Example: Does this insurance plan provide spousal coverage?