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

Liu, 57, had consistently asked to leave China since the death of her husband last July, and had pleaded to be freed from detention. — Jane Perlez, BostonGlobe.com, "Liu Xia, detained widow of Nobel Peace laureate, leaves China," 10 July 2018 Liu's friends in recent months have said her mental condition has steadily deteriorated, particularly since the death of her husband. — Fox News, "Nobel widow Liu Xia leaves China after 8 years' house arrest," 10 July 2018 Linda had recounted this happening to her sister, musing whether the cardinal somehow carried the felt-sense of her beloved husband. — Philip Chard, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "A cardinal's song, or a spiritual experience?," 5 July 2018 The first lady's visit is to detention facilities still embroiled in political controversy largely of her husband’s policy choices. — Ronald J. Hansen, azcentral, "5 things to know as Melania Trump visits child shelters in Arizona," 28 June 2018 The Sydney Morning Herald reports Victoria’s diary revealed a woman madly in love with her husband, which was somewhat taboo for a 19th-century woman. — Rachel E. Greenspan, Time, "Prince Louis' Christening Venue Has a Poignant Tie to Princess Diana. Here's What to Know About the Chapel Royal," 9 July 2018 But Boedecker faces charges stemming from an argument with her husband about his fidelity, according to authorities: third-degree domestic assault, armed criminal action and first-degree property damage. — Glenn E. Rice, kansascity, "Grandma turns playhouse into memorial for granddaughters found dead in Clay County," 6 July 2018 Some facts of the case are undisputed: Kelly Norton, whose husband Jim was a lobbyist for Johnson Utilities, set up a consulting company in 2011 called KNB Consulting. — Ryan Randazzo, azcentral, "Bribery trial involving Johnson Utilities, Corporation Commission in jurors' hands," 29 June 2018 Last year, Justice Grant wrote an opinion overturning the felony murder conviction of a woman whose husband shot and killed a police officer—and less than two months later authored a second opinion restoring the conviction. — Wsj Staff, WSJ, "Potential Nominees to the Supreme Court," 27 June 2018

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.

History and Etymology for husband

Noun

Middle English husbonde, from Old English hūsbonda master of a house, from Old Norse hūsbōndi, from hūs house + bōndi householder; akin to Old Norse būa to inhabit; akin to Old English būan to dwell — more at bower

Verb

see husband entry 1

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