bridal

noun brid·al \ ˈbrī-dᵊl \

|Updated on: 19 Jun 2018

Definition of bridal

: a marriage festival or ceremony

Recent Examples of bridal from the Web

The outdoor wedding, stuff of girlhood fantasy and bridal-magazine photography, has long been off-limits to most Catholics.

— julie zauzmer, Washington Post, "Catholics can get married outdoors in two places: In Montana, and now in Baltimore," 11 June 2018
Just days later, an Irish bridal shop and a designer whipped up nearly identical copies of both of Markle’s memorable wedding looks.

— raisa bruner, Time, "This Bridal Shop Already Recreated Replicas of Meghan Markle's Wedding Gowns," 22 May 2018
The dress is simply beautiful in its classic simplicity,’’ said Caroline Burstein, owner of Browns Bride, a top London bridal boutique.

— sylvia hui and raphael satter, BostonGlobe.com, "Meghan Markle wears dress by UK designer Clare Waight Keller," 19 May 2018
And earlier in March, Markle reportedly had a private bridal shower ahead of her big day.

— madeline farber, Fox News, "Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's royal wedding: Everything you need to know," 19 May 2018
But that's not the only aspect of her previous presentations that easily translates into an enjoyable bridal shower.

— madeleine luckel, Vogue, "Lela Rose on Party Planning, Bridal Shower Ideas, and Her “Infamous” Tequila Room," 12 Apr. 2018
The story would focus on Hart and her four daughters, ages 9 to 17, trying on wedding dresses at a Northville bridal shop.

— christina hall, Detroit Free Press, "Ill mom's story resonates with Free Press reporter," 13 May 2018
The event provides exhibitor opportunities for those in the bridal/event industry targeting the brides and grooms-to-be market.

— cindy kent, Sun-Sentinel.com, "The Planner: Sunrise Chamber celebrates education professionals," 5 May 2018
And earlier in March, Markle reportedly had a private bridal shower ahead of her big day.

— madeline farber, Fox News, "Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's royal wedding: Everything you need to know," 2 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bridal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

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.