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
The Times found examples of a bar owner’s account being canceled after their deposits fell just below federal reporting thresholds, and a married couple’s accounts being closed after one of the spouses started receiving direct deposits from a marijuana company that acquired his employer. Lawrence Mower, Miami Herald, 3 May 2024 And while we’re told Croker’s current spouse Serena (Sarah Jones) is shrewder than the trophy she’s often dismissed as, we’re given few chances to see it. Alison Herman, Variety, 2 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for spouse 

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 7 May. 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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