Definition and pronunciation
wife /waɪf/ — noun: a married woman; a female spouse.
Plural: wives /waɪvz/.
Easy explanation
A wife is a woman who is married to someone. People also use gender-neutral words like spouse or partner.
Grammatical formation
- Countable noun: a wife, two wives.
- Possessives: wife’s (singular), wives’ (plural).
- Common forms: ex-wife, future wife, wife-to-be.
- Attributive compounds: wife and mother, wife material, wife swap (TV/colloquial), wife-and-husband team.
Meanings and nuances
- Female spouse — neutral, everyday use.
- Role descriptors — “working wife,” “stay-at-home wife,” “royal wife/consort.”
- Inclusive usage — used by married women of any orientation (“She introduced Maya as her wife”).
With prepositions
- wife of [person] (headline/biographical): “Wife of the mayor…”.
- wife to [person] (formal/less common): “She is wife to Arif.”
- as a wife (role or perspective): “As a wife, she manages the finances.”
- married to [person] (status phrase).
- married into [family/class] via the marriage connection: “She married into a diplomatic family.”
Common collocations
loving wife, devoted wife, proud wife, ex-wife, first/second wife, future wife, wife-to-be, working wife, stay-at-home wife, bereaved wife, doting wife, wife and mother, wife’s family, wife’s surname, royal wife, lawful wife
Idioms and neighboring expressions
better half, other half, trophy wife (derogatory/stereotyped), old wives’ tale (traditional belief, often false), wifey (slang, affectionate or patronizing by context), housewife/homemaker, happy wife, happy life (rhyming saying; stereotyped), work wife (metaphoric close colleague)
Word comparisons
- wife vs spouse/partner: spouse/partner are gender-neutral; wife specifies a married woman.
- wife vs bride: bride is around the wedding; wife is the ongoing status afterward.
- wife vs fiancée: fiancée is engaged to marry; wife is already married.
- wife vs woman: woman = gender/identity; wife = marital role.
- wife vs widow/divorcée: widow = husband has died; divorcée = marriage legally ended.
- housewife vs homemaker: homemaker is newer and often preferred for neutrality.
Real-life examples
- “She and her wife run a small bakery.”
- “As a wife and mother, she balances two jobs.”
- “The profile listed him as the husband of film director Aisha and gave his wife’s surname.”
- “The article dismissed the rumor as an old wives’ tale.”
Sample sentences
- “He introduced Sara as his wife.”
- “Her wife works in public health.”
- “She kept her birth name after becoming a wife.”
- “The obituary mentioned his wife and three children.”
- “As a wife, she managed the household budget.”
- “He and his wife co-own the company.”
- “Her ex-wife lives in Seattle.”
- “They’ve been wife and wife for a decade.”
- “That’s just an old wives’ tale—there’s no evidence.”
- “She married into a military family and moved often.”
Synonyms
spouse, partner, consort, missus, bride, wifey, helpmate, other half
Antonyms
single, unmarried, divorcée, widow, ex-wife
Related terms
husband, spouse, partner, bride, newlywed, fiancée, marriage, matrimony, wedlock, marital, conjugal, housewife, homemaker, mother-in-law, stepmother, spouse visa
Connection to sexuality
“Wife” names a marital role, not a sexual act. It can appear near sexual topics (e.g., conjugal relations, fidelity), but the word itself is non-sexual and focuses on legal/social identity.
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