dowry

noun

dow·​ry ˈdau̇(-ə)-rē 

plural dowries

1

law : the money, goods, or estate that a woman brings to her husband in marriage

cultures in which marriage rarely occurs without dowry or bride-price

2

: a natural talent or gift

Beauty should be the dowry of every man and woman, as invariably as sensation; but it is rare.

—Ralph Waldo Emerson

3

archaic, law : dower sense 1

Examples of dowry in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

James discovers that all of his family’s money is about to disappear and is forced to marry Theo for her dowry. —Literary Hub, 13 Jan. 2026

That way, Greenland could be given to the United States as a dowry. —Stylecaster Editors, StyleCaster, 9 Jan. 2026

The princess, in turn, could offer Greenland as a dowry. —Martha Ross, Mercury News, 8 Jan. 2026

Possibly part of a dowry paid to China’s Guangxu Emperor by a consort in the 1880s, the artifact has long been associated with female purity, fertility and abundance. —Wayne Chang, CNN Money, 10 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English dowarie, from Anglo-French, alteration of dower, douaire — more at dower

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Rhymes for dowry

• cowrie
• floury
• lourie
• maori

Kids Definition

dowry

noun

dow·​ry ˈdau̇(ə)r-ē 

plural dowries

: the property that a woman brings to her husband in marriage in some cultures