dowry

noun

dow·​ry ˈdau̇(-ə)-rē 

plural dowries

1

law : the money, goods, or estate that a woman brings to her husband in marriage

cultures in which marriage rarely occurs without dowry or bride-price

2

: a natural talent or gift

Beauty should be the dowry of every man and woman, as invariably as sensation; but it is rare.

—Ralph Waldo Emerson

3

archaic, law : dower sense 1

Examples of dowry in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

She could be put away and go to jail for embezzling Sophie’s dowry, and Armenta is deathly afraid of being called out in front of society. —Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 27 Feb. 2026

Viewers learned that one of the characters in the Netflix series has a dowry of 18,000 pounds. —Cheryl V. Jackson, IndyStar, 27 Feb. 2026

Earlier in the season, Sophie discovers her late father’s will and learns that Araminta (Katie Leung) has been embezzling her dowry. —Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 26 Feb. 2026

The news of Rosamund’s lack of 36,000 pounds has killed her engagement to Lord Whatever, and goddamn, that is a big dowry! —Christina Grace Tucker, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English dowarie, from Anglo-French, alteration of dower, douaire — more at dower

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Rhymes for dowry

• cowrie
• floury
• lourie
• maori

Kids Definition

dowry

noun

dow·​ry ˈdau̇(ə)r-ē 

plural dowries

: the property that a woman brings to her husband in marriage in some cultures