spouse

1 of 2

noun

: married person : husband, wife

spouse

2 of 2

verb

spoused; spousing

transitive verb

archaic
: wed

Examples of spouse in a Sentence

Noun my brothers and sisters and their spouses employees and their spouses are covered by the health plan
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
It is not known whether the spouses shared the proceeds from the home sale. Tresa Baldas, Detroit Free Press, 4 Mar. 2024 Sometimes, that’s because a spouse or relative has pressured them into getting organized. Annie Midori Atherton, Washington Post, 2 Mar. 2024 In the Turks and Caicos, the spouse of a Turks Islander can reside and work without a work permit and eventually gain Turks Islander status. Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 1 Mar. 2024 In 2015, the couple bonded during a vacation to Tennessee and agreed to focus on being better parents and spouses. Louise Rafkin, New York Times, 29 Feb. 2024 On a slightly more technical level, tequila is a type of mezcal that can only be made from blue Weber Agave in five Mexican states, and just like your spouse tequila can be plenty fun. Erik Ofgang, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 His spouse was unaware of his activity, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas. CBS News, 26 Feb. 2024 The survivors faced hours of surgery and multiple trips to the operating room, all while mourning the loss of their children and spouses. Irfan Galaria, The Mercury News, 23 Feb. 2024 Say, one spouse owns a business and generates substantial legal fees. Martin Shenkman, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024
Verb
The Arrested Development star has been married to spouse Nadine Cera since 2017, while Plaza wed filmmaker Jeff Baena in 2021. Shania Russell, EW.com, 16 June 2023 Lannie Kali sat on a lawn chair along Couch Street next to spouse Maria Kali, as their 13-year-old daughter, Dania, sat on the curb in front of them. oregonlive, 19 June 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'spouse.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French espus (masculine) & espuse (feminine), from Latin sponsus betrothed man, groom & sponsa betrothed woman, bride, both from sponsus, past participle of spondēre to promise, betroth; akin to Greek spendein to pour a libation, Hittite šipant-

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of spouse was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near spouse

Cite this Entry

“Spouse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spouse. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

spouse

noun
ˈspau̇s,
 also  ˈspau̇z
: a married person : husband, wife
spousal
ˈspau̇-zəl
-səl
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on spouse

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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