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
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
I began to question why I had created that dynamic; I was a feminist, not someone clinging to a traditional wifely role.
From Salon ● Sep. 5, 2021
It was only the mildest wifely curiosity that prompted her to peep, for she had little interest in civic administration.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
