prenuptial agreement

noun

variants or less commonly prenup

ˈprē-ˌnəp 

or prenuptial

: an agreement made between two people before marrying that establishes rights to property and support in the event of divorce or death

Prenuptial agreements have long been used by couples who want to set down the terms of any future divorce before they walk down the aisle.

—Desa Philadelphia

Even though there's a prenup, it's unclear how much of Liz's money Fortensky will end up with …

—Newsweek

Examples of prenuptial agreement in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

After years making other kinds of headlines in their community, their split is now playing out publicly as Mike fights to have the court enforce the couple’s prenuptial agreement, which would pay Constance a lump sum of $1 million. —David Chiu, PEOPLE, 16 Apr. 2026

Rocket Lawyer can help you get started with a free, customizable prenuptial agreement template and access to other legal resources like, wills, NDAs, and business contracts. —Layla Melendez, CNBC, 15 Apr. 2026

This requirement cannot be waived in a prenuptial agreement. —Wendy Hickey, Boston Herald, 12 Apr. 2026

In addition to the wedding certificate, James signed a prenuptial agreement that Burden’s mother insisted upon. —Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1882, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for prenuptial agreement

• disagreement

Legal Definition

prenuptial agreement

noun

pre·​nup·​tial agreement

prē-ˈnəp-shəl-, -chəl-

: antenuptial agreement