wife

noun

ˈwīf 

plural wives ˈwīvz 

1

a

dialect : woman

b

: a woman acting in a specified capacity

—used in combination

fishwife

2

: a female partner in a marriage

wifehood

ˈwīf-ˌhu̇d 

ˈwī-ˌfu̇d

noun

wifeless

ˈwī-fləs 

adjective

Synonyms of wife

• lady
• woman
• spouse
• partner
• bride
• widow
• madam
• wifey
• Mrs.

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

Paul Kueker, 51, a father of two, was celebrating his 25th wedding anniversary with his wife at Saturday’s Goose concert when he was captured on video falling head-first from a balcony in the 300s section and landed on other concertgoers below, according to the New York Post. — Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 23 June 2026

Among them was Ronald Bedenis, who previously told CBS News Miami that his wife and several neighbors were struggling during the outage. — Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 23 June 2026

During the approximately two-week trial, jurors heard testimony from Pino's wife and several of Fernandez's friends who were on the boat at the time of the crash, who recalled the chaotic situation as the boat capsized. — Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 22 June 2026

Josh’s father, Frankie, the older son, and his new wife, Ana, 46, lived on the same floor, along with her son, Luis Bermudez, 26. — Lois K. Solomon, Sun Sentinel, 22 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

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

Phrases Containing wife

• estranged wife
• husband and wife
• take a wife/husband
• trad wife
• trophy wife

Rhymes for wife

• knife
• life
• rife
• strife
• afterlife
• pocketknife
• alewife
• birdlife
• folklife
• housewife
• jackknife
• midlife

Kids Definition

wife

noun

ˈwīf 

plural wives ˈwīvz 

1

dialect : woman sense 1

2

: a female partner in a marriage