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

“The amount and duration of spousal support varies depending on factors such as the length of the marriage, each spouse’s income and earning capacity, and the standard of living established during the marriage.”

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Answer: If she applies for Social Security now, she would be “deemed” to be applying for both her own benefit and her spousal benefit and given the larger of the two.

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Can she just roll it over into her existing Roth IRA, as is generally permitted for spousal IRA inheritance?

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In 1998, he was sentenced to six months in prison after pleading no contest to felony spousal abuse against Anderson.

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Dear Liz: I believe you provided bad information to the woman inquiring about Social Security spousal benefits for her husband.

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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?