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

As the normies, Teller and his naive wife, portrayed by Scarlett Johansson, feel like kids playing dress-up. —Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 19 May 2026

Seth was joined in the interview by his wife, Lauren Miller Rogen, and writer Sarah Leavitt. —Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 19 May 2026

His first time playing in Season 4 introduced him to the world; his second time in Season 8 introduced him to his wife, Amber Mariano; and his fourth time playing in Season 22 earned him $1 million. —Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 19 May 2026

Shoutouts Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican candidate for governor, and his wife Tricia appear before filing paperwork in March to run for office. —Adam Beam, AJC.com, 18 May 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