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

Possibly part of a dowry paid to China’s Guangxu Emperor by a consort in the 1880s, the artifact has long been associated with female purity, fertility and abundance. —Wayne Chang, CNN Money, 10 Nov. 2025

Call it the groom's automotive dowry. —Laura Lane, USA Today, 18 Oct. 2025

After the dowry is shown off, Henry informs the brothers that the Grants’ physician — and not the MacKenzie’s — will perform the exam. —Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 19 Sep. 2025

That world is where Downton's Cora Crawley (Elizabeth McGovern) comes from, once a young American heiress who married into the British aristocracy to help preserve the Downton estate with her dowry. —Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Sep. 2025

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