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A secondary meaning of Old English ealu, the ancestor of Modern English ale, was “feast, banquet,” at which the drinking of ale was a prominent activity. There were a number of these feasts and banquets that survived into the 19th century, but the oldest and best-established was the bride-ale, or wedding feast, attested in Old English as brydealu. In Middle English the ale half of the word had lost its stress and was associated with the noun suffix –al (as in funeral) and the adjective suffix (as in parental). By the 18^th^ century, bridal was perceived primarily as an adjective, as it is today.
Examples of bridal in a Sentence
Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 11 June 2026
Among Lipa’s jaw-dropping bridal looks were a backless Bottega Veneta dress worn to a pre-party, and a boho-chic Chloé look worn to brunch.
—Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 9 June 2026
Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 15 June 2026
Nina Dobrev put an unexpected—yet breathtaking—spin on the bridal trend on Saturday.
—Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 14 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for bridal
Cite this Entry
“Bridal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bridal. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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