husband

noun

hus·band | \ ˈhəz-bənd

Definition of husband

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a male partner in a marriage her husband of forty years

2 British : the manager of another's property : steward

3 : a frugal manager speaks his whole mind gaily, and is not the cautious husband of a part— W. B. Yeats

husband

verb

husbanded; husbanding; husbands

Definition of husband (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1a : to manage prudently and economically a country that has husbanded its resources well

b : to use sparingly : conserve must husband one's strength

2 archaic : to find a husband for : mate

Other Words from husband Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about husband

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Synonyms & Antonyms for husband

Synonyms: Noun

hubby, man, mister, old man

Synonyms: Verb

conserve

Antonyms: Verb

blow, dissipate, fritter (away), lavish, misspend, run through, squander, throw away, waste

Examples of husband in a Sentence

Noun

Have you met her husband? she and her husband just celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary

Verb

The country has husbanded its resources well. husband our natural resources so that our children and grandchildren may benefit from them

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Women in the region now earn more than men, and the balance of power between them and their husbands has shifted. — The Economist, "Vietnam has one of the highest shares of women in work in the world," 8 June 2019 She and her husband, Beierle's brother, considered contacting law enforcement in 2002 out of fear that Beierle might be the sniper, who was then terrorizing the District of Columbia area near where Beierle had moved after college. — Steve Hendrix, Anchorage Daily News, "He always hated women. Then he decided to kill them.," 7 June 2019 The rest of the story: San Diego attorney Lynn Schenk and her late husband, attorney and University of San Diego law professor C. Hugh Friedman, were loyal customers of Old Trieste restaurant in Bay Park, which closed May 30. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Customer experience is enhanced with Lindsey Vonn and kittens at San Diego confab," 7 June 2019 The episode flashes forward 11 years, and Danny is a bored husband in the 'burbs. — Kaitlin Reilly, refinery29.com, "Black Mirror, Season 5, Episode 1 Recap: "Striking Vipers"," 6 June 2019 Cat’s out the bag! Tami Roman and Reggie Youngblood are now officially husband and wife. — Jasmine Grant, Essence, "Surprise! Tami Roman Reportedly Married Reggie Youngblood Last Year," 6 June 2019 Police also interviewed Butler’s daughter and her husband, who shared the same account as their 13-year-old son. — Olivia Prentzel, nola.com, "Mother shoots daughter in leg after refusing to let her inside Little Woods home: warrant," 6 June 2019 Companies controlled by her or her husband, Velimir, also owe tens of thousands in back taxes on a vacant commercial property and on rental properties, county records show. — Mark Naymik, cleveland.com, "Assistant county prosecutor who chased tax cheats held fundraiser for housing court bid at tax delinquent property," 4 June 2019 This ad appears to directly take aim at actress Lori Loughlin, who played Aunt Becky on Full House, and her husband, J. Mossimo Giannulli. — Charlotte Carroll, SI.com, "'Family Guy' Takes Aim at College Admissions Scandal with Emmys Ad," 4 June 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

As this novel pushes forward, however, Gessen’s patience, his ability to husband his resources, begins to pay off. — New York Times, "Struggling to Love, Work and Do the Right Thing in Putin’s Russia," 9 July 2018 Most farmers drew their water from canals extending from the Washakie Reservoir, which was usually filled by Memorial Day and carefully husbanded until August, when irrigation needs became strong. — John Fialka, Scientific American, "A Wyoming Reservation Shows the New Face of Drought," 6 June 2018 Although desires may be infinite, the means available are not, and good commanders set priorities, build alliances and husband their resources. — John Nagl, WSJ, "‘On Grand Strategy’ Review: The War Against Decline and Fall," 16 Apr. 2018 His favorite example is an oyster-husbanding pilot project on a barge off of downtown. — Jeanette Steele, sandiegouniontribune.com, "New Port of San Diego chairman is a 43-year-old lawyer," 9 Jan. 2018 After Pearl Harbor, Chiang Kai-shek realized that his fate depended on the outcome of the new war between Japan and the U.S., and tried to husband his remaining forces. — David Kaiser, Time, "The War That Started 80 Years Ago Wouldn't Happen Today. We Can Still Learn From It," 7 July 2017 Kenya Moore has finally shared photos from her secret wedding to husband Marc! — Karen Mizoguchi, PEOPLE.com, "RHOA's Kenya Moore Shares Photos From St. Lucia Wedding to Husband Marc," 20 June 2017 The rigged bidding process allowed GDMA to inflate prices for its husbanding services supplying items such as security, food and trash removal to visiting Navy ships at various ports. — Kristina Davis, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Singapore executives plead guilty in 'Fat Leonard' Navy scandal," 9 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'husband.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.