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

The country recorded 5,737 deaths related to dowries in 2024, per the Independent. — Raven Brunner, PEOPLE, 3 Sep. 2026

After exhausting all options, including selling their car and moving in with a relative, Esma makes the painful decision to wed Zara for the dowry. — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 19 Aug. 2026

Each bride was to receive 200,000 naira ($145) as a dowry and to provide startup capital for a small business. — ABC News, 8 Aug. 2026

The mahr — the obligatory dowry the groom must pay under Islamic law — comes on top of that, as does the apartment, furniture, and expectation of ongoing household support. — Wael Mahdi, semafor.com, 21 July 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