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

In the book, Zuleikha, a slender 30-year-old Muslim woman, lives in a Tatar village in the Soviet Union in the early 1930s, a near-slave to her abusive husband and cruel mother-in-law. — Maria Danilova, The Seattle Times, "Russian novel tells story of survival, love in Stalin’s camp," 14 Jan. 2019 Comparatively, Kate Middleton's first royal patronage was announced in October 2011, and saw her join her husband and brother-in-law at The Royal Foundation. — Amy Mackelden, Harper's BAZAAR, "Meghan Markle & Kate Middleton's First Royal Patronages Have a Lot in Common," 10 Jan. 2019 In the first major film adaptation of Baldwin's work, If Beale Street Could Talk, Colman Domingo plays husband and father-of-two Joseph Rivers. — Joelle Monique, Teen Vogue, ""If Beale Street Could Talk" Highlights the Power of Love in a World Designed for Black People to Fail," 9 Jan. 2019 Our first day on the river was a relaxed start to a five-day trip with my boys, husband, and father. — Beth Woolsey, Woman's Day, "'My Father and I Approach the World Differently, But an Emergency Brought Us Together'," 4 Oct. 2018 Yesterday, the socialite took a dip in the ocean while her husband James Matthews relaxed nearby. — Marina Liao, Marie Claire, "Pippa Middleton Packed a Biondi London Bikini for a Tropical Getaway With Her Family," 3 Jan. 2019 Only two other men were on board the boat aside from her husband Robert Wagner: actor Christopher Walken and the boat’s captain, Dennis Davern. — Maude Campbell, Popular Mechanics, "The Complete History of the Autopsy," 26 Dec. 2018 Some friends took to calling Mrs. Trump and asking her to pass messages to her husband, according to two people familiar with the matter. — Michael C. Bender, WSJ, "Trump: Chief of Staff John Kelly to Leave Toward Year-End," 8 Dec. 2018 In real life, the 34-year-old actress has been married to her husband Jason Wayne for more than a decade. — Emma Dibdin, Country Living, "Hallmark's Jen Lilley and Her Husband Jason Wayne's Marriage Will Melt Your Heart," 1 Dec. 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.