bride-price

noun

: a payment given by or in behalf of a prospective husband to the bride's family in many cultures

Examples of bride-price in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Charles used the money to buy a new car and pay lobola, a bride-price customary in many Southern African cultures. Kimon De Greef, The New Yorker, 20 Feb. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bride-price.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1863, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bride-price was in 1863

Dictionary Entries Near bride-price

Cite this Entry

“Bride-price.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bride-price. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.

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