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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
Phil Wahba, Fortune, 24 Nov. 2025
Shmidman said that Wang — the person, bridal and fashion — is really powerful.
—Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 10 Nov. 2025
Malaika Crawford, Vogue, 21 Dec. 2025
Sade’s stunning wedding gown was a find from her bridal stylist that helped accentuate her curves and celebrate her postpartum body.
—Victoria Uwumarogie, Essence, 19 Dec. 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 22 Dec. 2025.
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