spouse

American  

[spous, spouz, spouz, spous] / spaʊs, spaʊz, spaʊz, spaʊs /

noun

• spouses
  plural

1. either member of a married pair in relation to the other; one's husband or wife.

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verb (used with object)

spoused, spousing

1. Obsolete. to join, give, or take in marriage.

spouse British  

noun

1. a person's partner in marriage

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verb

1. obsolete (tr) to marry

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

• spousehood
  noun
• spouseless
  adjective
• unspoused
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• spouses
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

spouse spouses spoused

They could make separate gifts of the same size to the child’s spouse and to each grandchild.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026

You can only avoid or reduce surcharges if the gain resulted from a “life-changing event,” such as retirement or death of a spouse, according to the Social Security Administration.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 2, 2026

Her way of structuring assets is to move everything to the well spouse.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 25, 2026

She adds: "We feel scared, especially after the sanctions that began yesterday. Ever since the war, my spouse has not gone back to work. He used to work on ships."

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026

“Givei;” Jonas asked once, as they prepared for the day’s work, “don’t you have a spouse? Aren’t you allowed to apply for one?”

From "The Giver" by Lois Lowry

The spouses are also said to retain their property in the affluent Santa Barbara enclave of Montecito, and vacation home in Portugal while also making a “private, non-royal” home in Britain.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026

It is borne heavily by spouses and parents, who watch the news with a knot in their stomach, worrying endlessly about the physical safety, mental strain and welfare of their loved ones.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026

"Both Congress and the general American workplace were designed by and for men who had often stay-at-home spouses who handled all of the domestic work," she said.

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026

Surviving spouses, at FRA or older, generally get 100% of the worker’s basic benefit amount, the IRS says.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 12, 2026

I intended to make good on the promises I’d made to the military spouses I’d met while campaigning—to help share their stories and find ways to support them.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

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

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

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

Related Words

• companion
• domestic partner
• husband
• mate
• partner
• wife