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:
When I was on “Falling Skies” and played the grievous loss of a spouse, people reached out to me.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
Complicating matters, he has never been particularly generous or nurturing, and he has no spouse, children or other immediate next of kin.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026
When one spouse dies, household income often falls while many essential expenses, particularly housing, remain largely unchanged.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
If your pilot suddenly keeled over, would you trust their spouse to fly the plane?
From Slate ● Jul. 24, 2026
“No, there’s no rule against it. And I did have a spouse. You’re forgetting how old I am, Jonas. My former spouse lives now with the Childless Adults.”
From "The Giver" by Lois Lowry
Among the visitors are young travellers discovering the island for the first time, as well as families including women wearing headscarves, accompanied by their spouses and children in strollers.
From Barron's ● Jul. 31, 2026
In other instances, they were daughters, state officials, or even the spouses of the governors doing the appointing.
From Slate ● Jul. 24, 2026
“In many states, spouses have a legal obligation to support each other. If one spouse needs long-term nursing home care the assets of the other may be used to pay bills,” it adds.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
The North Carolina Republican co-sponsored a bill earlier this year that bars members of Congress, their spouses and dependent children from purchasing stocks in publicly traded companies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026
Hundreds of people turned to friends, spouses, and strangers to ask: “Has the president been shot?”
From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson
Thou shalt be spoused to fair Gwendoline; Love her, and take her, for she is thine own, If so thy uncle and her self do please.
From Locrine/Mucedorus by Shakespeare (spurious and doubtful works)
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 De Vere, Aubrey
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 Gardner, Edmund Garratt
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 Purves, D. Laing
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 Nicolas, Nicholas Harris, Sir
Definitions 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.
