: of, relating to, or befitting a wife
wife·li·ness
ˈwīflēnə̇s 
-lin-
plural -es
: the quality or state of being wifely
vague piecemeal efforts at wifeliness—
Martha Gellhorn
Martha GellhornExamples of wifely in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 22 Apr. 2026
Behold all of his wifely love, and then behold him, loving her.
—Monica Hesse, Washington Post, 20 June 2019
An even more incendiary interview surfaced online in March, in which Patterson can be heard boasting about having counseled an abused woman, who showed up to church with two black eyes, to submit to domestic violence as her wifely duty.
—Virginia Heffernan, WIRED, 21 June 2018
To play Midge, Brosnahan consulted a stack of vintage Good Housekeeping magazines, clipping articles about wifely deportment.
—Alexis Soloski, idahostatesman, 7 Jan. 2018
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Adjective
Judd, who seems a decent man, wants to know how Agnes would exemplify her wifely duties.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 22 Apr. 2026
Behold all of his wifely love, and then behold him, loving her.
—Monica Hesse, Washington Post, 20 June 2019
An even more incendiary interview surfaced online in March, in which Patterson can be heard boasting about having counseled an abused woman, who showed up to church with two black eyes, to submit to domestic violence as her wifely duty.
—Virginia Heffernan, WIRED, 21 June 2018
To play Midge, Brosnahan consulted a stack of vintage Good Housekeeping magazines, clipping articles about wifely deportment.
—Alexis Soloski, idahostatesman, 7 Jan. 2018
Cite this Entry
“Wifely.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wifely. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
wifely
adjective
wife·ly
ˈwī-flē
: of, relating to, or suitable for a wife
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