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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
Daisy Maldonado, InStyle, 15 Mar. 2026
Many fans were quick to point out the bridal-like white dress Zendaya wore to the show, as well as what appeared to be a wedding band on her ring finger.
—Zara Irshad, San Francisco Chronicle, 10 Mar. 2026
Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 22 Mar. 2026
Wang will work with Dunkin’ to select a winner, who will get a bridal experience at Wang’s salon in New York City or Beverly Hills.
—Saleen Martin, USA Today, 18 Mar. 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 23 Mar. 2026.
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