significant other

noun

Updated on: 9 Dec 2017

Definition of significant other

: a person who is important to one's well-being; especially : a spouse or one in a similar relationship

See significant other defined for English-language learners

Examples of significant other in a Sentence

Before you make such an important decision, you should talk it over with your significant other.
she has threatened to divorce her significant other if he doesn't stop gambling

Recent Examples of significant other from the Web

Richardson would talk openly about sexuality with the student, and even encouraged the student to break up with their significant other, the affidavit states.

— thomas novelly, The Courier-Journal, "Southern Indiana high school employee accused of 'fondling, touching' student," 20 Sep. 2017
Help your significant other catch up with the fragmented media consumption landscape that is 2017 with a subscription to Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime or HBO Now.

— vera castaneda, latimes.com, "Holiday gifts that say: I love you," 3 Nov. 2017
Their wisdom – on everything from which jobs to take to which significant others aren't worth our time – has filtered through generations of experience and disseminated to us grandchildren through visits, vacations, and, in my PopPop's case, emails.

— Southern Living, "10 Life Lessons We Learned From Our Grandparents," 2 Nov. 2017
But there's also the feat accomplished by his reported significant other, Sloane Stephens, who captured the U.S. Open women's championship in sensational fashion.

— avi creditor, SI.com, "The MLS XI, Week 27: Welcome Home, Atlanta; Give Toronto FC the Supporters' Shield," 11 Sep. 2017
Laundry may be the last thing on your mind as your significant other starts flinging hammers across the yard while cursing out the storm shutters.

— doreen christensen, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Christensen: How to survive Hurricane Irma like a true South Florida native: Buy booze | Commentary," 4 Sep. 2017
The eight-month renovation cost $150,000, with much of the sandy-colored wood, concrete and raw brick design help from significant others.

— amy bartner, Indianapolis Star, "Here's why you're seeing 'local whiskey made me do it' in your Instagram feed," 3 Nov. 2017
In an attempt to find a temporary solution to their problems, Bernadette and Amy agree to tell each other about their own successes because apparently telling their significant others is out of the question.

— jessica radloff, Glamour, "'The Big Bang Theory' Season 11 Episode 2 Recap: Bernadette and Amy Battle Over Their Successes," 2 Oct. 2017
Your significant other knows exactly what to get you for birthdays and holidays.

— kristen bateman, Marie Claire, "12 Things Only Shopping Fanatics Understand," 10 Oct. 2014

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