wife

noun

plural wives ˈwīvz How to pronounce wife (audio)
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 How to pronounce wife (audio)
ˈwī-ˌfu̇d
noun
wifeless adjective

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
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Wearing a blue velvet Gucci suit, natch, Luhrmann glided through the crowd with his wife, collaborator and costume designer Catherine Martin. Booth Moore, WWD, 3 Nov. 2024 Robert Irvine and his wife, Gail Kim, have been married since 2012 Comments Robert Irvine may be known for his no-nonsense attitude on Restaurant: Impossible, but his wife, Gail Kim, says there’s more to him than fans get to see on screen. Jacqueline Weiss, People.com, 3 Nov. 2024 Named for Napoleon’s second wife who reigned over the city, the hotel is done up in a classic style, with 101 rooms and suites, Maxim’s Restaurant, and L’Aiglon Bar. Laura Itzkowitz, Travel + Leisure, 3 Nov. 2024 Meanwhile, Tim Walz and his wife, Gwen, will campaign in Wisconsin and Michigan on Monday before heading to Pennsylvania on Tuesday to mobilize voters in the election's last hours. David Faris, Newsweek, 3 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for wife 

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

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

Dictionary Entries Near wife

Cite this Entry

“Wife.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wife. Accessed 12 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

wife

noun
plural wives ˈwīvz How to pronounce wife (audio)
1
dialect : woman sense 1
2
: a female partner in a marriage

More from Merriam-Webster on wife

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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