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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
Nicole Briese, PEOPLE, 8 Nov. 2025
While the bridal gown is the pièce de résistance of every wedding day, the mother of the bride dress holds VIP status as well.
—Kerry Pieri, Vogue, 19 Oct. 2025
Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 7 Nov. 2025
To celebrate the launch of the archival collection, David’s hosted a brunch and fashion presentation at the Café Carlyle Thursday to debut the archival pieces, as well as exclusive pieces from David’s spring 2026 bridal collection including new looks from Viola Chan Couture.
—Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bridal
Cite this Entry
“Bridal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bridal. Accessed 11 Nov. 2025.
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