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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
Jessica Booth, PEOPLE, 9 May 2026
On another occasion out for a meal with friends in NYC, Swift embraced her most bridal look yet, wearing a black spaghetti strap tank top from the The Row paired with an ivory silk maxi skirt from Meshki—well, very bridal, but also very Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy.
—Irene Kim, Vogue, 8 May 2026
Katie Abel, Footwear News, 12 May 2026
Starting on May 12, if a dress is purchased in store or online for brides, mother-of-the-brides, or bridesmaids, Cook said the bridal retailer will allow the dress to be held right before the event and will guarantee that the dress fits properly.
—Angeline Jane Bernabe, ABC News, 12 May 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 14 May. 2026.
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