wife

noun
\ ˈwīf How to pronounce wife (audio) \
plural wives\ ˈwīvz How to pronounce wives (audio) \

Definition of wife

1a dialect : woman
b : a woman acting in a specified capacity used in combination fishwife
2 : a female partner in a marriage

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Other Words from wife

wifehood \ ˈwīf-​ˌhu̇d How to pronounce wifehood (audio) , ˈwī-​ˌfu̇d \ noun
wifeless \ ˈwī-​fləs How to pronounce wifeless (audio) \ adjective

Synonyms for wife

Synonyms

helpmate, helpmeet, lady, little woman, madam, missus (or missis), Mrs., old lady, wifey, woman [chiefly dialect]

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Examples of wife in a Sentence

We met him and his wife. a husband and wife who treat each other as equals in their marriage

Recent Examples on the Web

One of the businesses will be run by April Segal, Matthew Segal’s wife, who will run a holistic pharmacy. San Diego Union-Tribune, "Little Italy micro-unit apartments open with cheaper than average rent," 17 Sep. 2019 There were people, of course, Abigail Adams maybe most famously, who pointed all this out at the time, both about slavery and about the tyranny of husbands over wives. Louis Michael Seidman, Harper's magazine, "Constitution in Crisis," 16 Sep. 2019 In October, George’s wife Wendy will be visiting the students of Wilkerson Intermediate School in The Woodlands to share with them George’s story, and even some of his original art, as part of a Life and Legacy Tour. Jamie Swinnerton, Houston Chronicle, "Wilkerson Intermediate students celebrate art of George Rodrigue," 16 Sep. 2019 Leggett’s wife was heard screaming his name from inside the home, and the suspects bolted. Fox News, "Masked would-be burglars scared off by California woman's shouting: see the video," 16 Sep. 2019 Saber and other wives living in the house were imprisoned. BostonGlobe.com, "WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House announced Saturday that Hamza bin Laden , the son of the late al-Qaida leader who had become an increasingly prominent figure in the terrorist organization, was killed in a U.S. counterterrorism operation in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region.," 15 Sep. 2019 In 2003, The Wall Street Journal detailed how Yale-New Haven Hospital in Connecticut had pursued a patient’s widow to pay off his late wife’s 20-year-old medical bills. Maya Miller, ProPublica, "Thousands of Poor Patients Face Lawsuits From Nonprofit Hospitals That Trap Them in Debt," 13 Sep. 2019 The show opened Monday night with a reception hosted by Billy’s wife, the philanthropist and NYPL trustee Kathy Rayner, and a tribute by architect Peter Marino. David Netto, Town & Country, "William Rayner's Watercolors Will Transport You to Cambodia, India, and More," 12 Sep. 2019 During closing arguments, Rittgers told jurors about his own wife's pregnancy. Cameron Knight, Cincinnati.com, "Brooke Skylar Richardson trial: Not guilty on most serious charges. Lawyers don't expect any jail time.," 12 Sep. 2019

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

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First Known Use of wife

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

History and Etymology for wife

Middle English wif, from Old English wīf; akin to Old High German wīb wife and probably to Tocharian B kwīpe female pudenda

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Statistics for wife

Last Updated

29 Sep 2019

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Time Traveler for wife

The first known use of wife was before the 12th century

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More Definitions for wife

wife

noun

English Language Learners Definition of wife

: a married woman : the woman someone is married to

wife

noun
\ ˈwīf How to pronounce wife (audio) \
plural wives\ ˈwīvz \

Kids Definition of wife

: a married woman

Other Words from wife

wifely adjective

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More from Merriam-Webster on wife

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with wife

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for wife

Spanish Central: Translation of wife

Nglish: Translation of wife for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of wife for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about wife

Comments on wife

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to make known (information)

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