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:
Burns is not trans, but her spouse, whom she married last year, is trans and nonbinary.
From Salon ● Oct. 29, 2026
When a second spouse inherits everything, they can write a will and leave the entire estate to their own children, a subsequent spouse or even their favorite charities, cutting off the deceased spouse’s biological children.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 20, 2026
Marital trusts are popular for blended families as a way to pass assets to a surviving spouse and still protect children’s inheritance.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 20, 2026
Robert Romanoff, a trust and estates lawyer at Levenfeld Pearlstein in Chicago, said he has included provisions in premarital agreements requiring that a business-owning spouse commission a compensation study.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2026
She was also his first cousin and therefore a natural choice for a spouse.
From "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini
When presidents reached for their wives’ hands and their spouses responded in kind.
From Salon ● Oct. 22, 2026
Surviving spouses can claim up to 100% of a late spouse’s Social Security, depending on when they claim, should your husband’s be higher than yours and you predecease him.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 19, 2026
Courts often consider the cash provided for down payments as a gift to the couple in divorce proceedings, splitting the home equity equally between both spouses.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 11, 2026
According to the petition, the estranged spouses married Oct.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026
His parents and siblings attended along with spouses and many of their children.
From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson
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)
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
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
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