wifely
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of wifely
before 900; Middle English wifly, Old English wīflīc. See wife, -ly
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.
The wifely spin was, no doubt, born of fierce loyalty to her husband.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 4, 2026
Dozens of other women draw millions of followers by performing traditional wifely duties online.
From Salon ● Apr. 8, 2026
But conventional piety urged the pastor to insist that she live up to her wifely duty, no matter that her husband grossly flaunted his infidelity.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2022
That’s the central paradox of our veneration for first ladies: a job well done despite never wanting the responsibility — the cult of wifely self-sacrifice.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 14, 2022
It’s all very tidy and pretty in a wifely way, but she’ll have dug up her geraniums to plant tatties for the War Effort.
From "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein
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.
