spouse
Americannoun
-
spouses
plural
verb (used with object)
noun
verb
Usage
What does spouse mean? Someone’s spouse is the person who they’re 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. An adjective form of spouse is spousal, meaning relating to or involving marriage, as in Does this insurance plan provide spousal coverage?Example: If you and your spouse file your taxes jointly, you may be eligible for certain rebates.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of spouse
First recorded in 1150–1200; (for the noun) Middle English, from Old French spous (masculine), spouse (feminine), shortened from espous, espouse, from Latin spōnsus, spōnsa, literally, “pledged (man, woman),” noun uses of past participle of spondēre “to pledge”; (for the verb) Middle English spousen, from Old French esp(o)user; cf. espouse
Explanation
A spouse is your companion, your mate, your partner. In ye olden times, spouse was used as a verb meaning “to marry,” but nowadays, it functions as a noun referring to either husband or wife. Your spouse is often called "your better half." What we call adultery used to be referred to as spouse-breach in the early 13th century. American pediatrician Benjamin Spock said, “The surest measure of a man's or a woman's maturity is the harmony, style, joy, and dignity he creates in his marriage, and the pleasure and inspiration he provides for his spouse.” So, avoid that spouse-breaching at all costs, and till death do you part.
Vocabulary lists containing spouse
It's All in the Family
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Unit 2: Pivotal Words and Phrases
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Beowulf vocabulary
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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.
See Examples For:
Each fall, my spouse and I honor our parents by placing wreaths in two graveyards.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 9, 2026
Software can also model different scenarios, like assuming a married filing status and then stress testing different outcomes if one spouse should die earlier than their expected longevity.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 5, 2026
People might visit the grave of a spouse or a child, but how many visit the grave of a parent, grandparent, uncle or aunt?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 4, 2026
Reams of magazine profiles spotlight everyday people choosing to share their lives with an AI boyfriend, girlfriend or spouse.
From Salon ● Oct. 23, 2026
If their spouse does something positive, it’s a selfish person doing a positive thing.
From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell
Like many long-married spouses, they seem to treat bickering as a love language.
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
When presidents reached for their wives’ hands and their spouses responded in kind.
From Salon ● Oct. 22, 2026
The same thresholds apply to heads of household and qualifying surviving spouses.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
The former spouses, who share two teenage children, officially terminated their marriage on Oct.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026
Barbara Powers and a few other spouses were touring the base with their husbands.
From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin
The unworthy suit, She scorned, from childhood spoused in heart to Christ: She fled: upon the river lay a boat: She rowed it on through forests many a mile; A month had passed since then.
From Legends of the Saxon Saints by Aubrey De Vere
To followe pleasure, and the beastlie mocions of the mynde: what libertée call you that, to liue in a godly, meane, The libertie in mariage. and Mediocritée of life, with thy spoused wife.
From A booke called the Foundacion of Rhetorike because all other partes of Rhetorike are grounded thereupon, euery parte sette forthe in an Oracion vpon questions, verie profitable to bee knowen and redde by Richard Rainolde
He wan all Scotland.Also in this yere Robert Wynchelsee erchebysshop of Caunterbury spoused the kyng Edward and Margarete the kynges suster of Fraunce togidere: and also pees was mad betwen bothe kynges.
From A Chronicle of London from 1089 to 1483 Written in the Fifteenth Century, and for the First Time Printed from MSS. in the British Museum by Sir Nicholas Harris Nicolas
And right as Rachel and Leah were both wives unto Jacob, right so man's soul through light of knowing in the reason, and sweetness of love in the affection, is spoused unto God.
From The Cell of Self-Knowledge : seven early English mystical treatises printed by Henry Pepwell in 1521 by Edmund Garratt Gardner
SIR Clerk of Oxenford," our Hoste said, "Ye ride as still and coy, as doth a maid That were new spoused, sitting at the board: This day I heard not of your tongue a word.
From The Canterbury Tales, and Other Poems by D. Laing Purves
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