widower

noun

wid·​ow·​er ˈwi-də-wər How to pronounce widower (audio)
: a man who has lost his spouse or partner by death and usually has not remarried

Examples of widower in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Meg Ryan’s Annie Reed stumbles on the station midway through a late-night drive and is immediately enthralled by the story of widower Sam Baldwin, played by Tom Hanks. Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 1 Sep. 2023 Rust resumed and finished production in Montana earlier this year after Baldwin and the film's producers reached a separate settlement with Hutchins' widower Matthew, who shares son Andros with her. Jack Smart, Peoplemag, 16 Aug. 2023 Kostka, a widower with no children, died at 75 in March 2018. Amanda Milkovits, BostonGlobe.com, 11 Aug. 2023 When Hagen left after season three, the writers made Danny a widower and the show was renamed The Danny Thomas Show. Hilton Dresden, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Aug. 2023 Raised by a stern widower in a segregated town in North Carolina, Cotton earned a master’s degree in speech therapy from Boston University in 1960, a few years after King met his future wife, Coretta Scott, while studying there. James Sullivan, BostonGlobe.com, 3 Aug. 2023 Gerry Turner, the 71-year-old widower tapped to lead off the series by selecting a mate from one of about two dozen mature women temporarily housed together in a mansion, lives on a lake near Hudson. Turner and his wife, Toni, moved to the area upon her retirement in 2017. The Indianapolis Star, 21 July 2023 The Golden Bachelor’s leading man is none other than 71-year-old widower Gerry Turner, ABC announced July 17. Amaris Encinas, The Indianapolis Star, 15 Aug. 2023 Her grandmother, Kathleen Johnson, was among the widows and widowers in the room. Stephania Taladrid, The New Yorker, 8 Aug. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'widower.' 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

Middle English widewer, alteration of wedow widow, widower, from Old English wuduwa widower; akin to Old English wuduwe widow

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of widower was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near widower

Cite this Entry

“Widower.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/widower. Accessed 24 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

widower

noun
wid·​ow·​er ˈwid-ə-wər How to pronounce widower (audio)
: a man whose spouse has died
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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