wife

1 of 2

noun (1)

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

wifehood

2 of 2

noun (2)

wife·​hood ˈwīfˌhu̇d 

: the quality or state of being a wife

achieved the status of wifehood

Synonyms of wife

Noun (1)

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

Examples of wife in a Sentence

Noun (1)

We met him and his wife.

a husband and wife who treat each other as equals in their marriage

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

McKinsey responded to his wife's court filing by requesting a domestic violence protection order against her and filing for divorce. — Terry Chea, Arkansas Online, 30 Sep. 2026

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is Cuban, and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy alongside his wife, Rachel Campos-Duffy, who is Latina, will attend the event, according to a White House official. — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 30 Sep. 2026

Meet Allison Kaye, a makeup artist whose entire business is traveling around the country getting athletes' wives and girlfriends glammed up for game day. — Amber Harding Outkick, FOXNews.com, 29 Sep. 2026

The star has dedicated himself with the fervor of a holy crusader to the notion that, to quote his ex-wife, we are not just entertained but reborn when the lights go down and our collective dreams show up onscreen. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 29 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

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

Noun (2)

Middle English wifhod, wifhode, from Old English wīfhād womanhood, from wīf woman, wife + -hād -hood

First Known Use

Noun (1)

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