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
She is also used to having difficult conversations, right in her home: Fraga-Rosenfeld, her spouse, is part Jewish. Tim Carman, Washington Post, 16 Mar. 2024 Their focus has been on raising their children and letting their spouse’s career elevate. Georgann Yara, The Arizona Republic, 14 Mar. 2024 Later in life, the letter writer’s spouse will reap the benefits of a partner with more significant relationships and internal emotional resources. Kwame Anthony Appiah, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2024 Krasinski, 44, moved up a row to sit next to Downey's wife Susan, 50, when their spouses headed to the stage to join Murphy and the Oppenheimer cast for the night's final prize. Dana Rose Falcone, Peoplemag, 11 Mar. 2024 Nominees like Danielle Brooks and Sterling K. Brown, flanked by their spouses Dennis Gelin and Ryan Michelle Bathe, were overheard making plans to hit Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s Gold Party. Angelique Jackson, Variety, 11 Mar. 2024 The plan includes a front patio where residents can relax and socialize. Housing at the church complex is open to young people, 18 to 25, who have aged out of the foster care system, along with their spouses and children. Melissa Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2024 The recent high-profile trial that led to the conviction of the defendant’s spouse. Lauren Del Valle, CNN, 10 Mar. 2024 It is not known whether the spouses shared the proceeds from the home sale. Tresa Baldas, Detroit Free Press, 4 Mar. 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 28 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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