significant other

noun

Definition of significant othernext
as in partner
the person to whom another is married she has threatened to divorce her significant other if he doesn't stop gambling

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of significant other Let this serve as your reminder that a sweet-smelling scented candle makes a lovely present for just about any favorite coworker, significant other, your votive-loving mom, or yourself. — Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 7 Oct. 2026 The Disney Channel alum and her wife, Miranda Maday, made a joint appearance on the Wildmen podcast, cohosted by fellow child star Dylan Sprouse, and discussed maintaining QT with their significant other throughout life’s many changes. — Kathleen Perricone, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Oct. 2026 To mark the beginning of the new football season, SI Swimsuit reshared photos Monday of NFL significant others who have posed for the famous swimwear issue, including Brittany Mahomes. — Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 15 Sep. 2026 John’s wife, Tina, and their three children and significant others are scheduled to attend Friday night’s Yankees-Mets game in the Bronx. — Ian O'Connor, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for significant other
Recent Examples of Synonyms for significant other
  1. partner
  2. spouse
  3. better half
  4. husband
Noun
  • In many cases, boards and investors focused on ethical breaches, such as executives using company funds inappropriately or advancing the careers of romantic partners who reported to them.
    — Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 9 Nov. 2026
  • For the board, the primary task is proving that corporate networks, hardware blueprints, and sensitive partner discussions remained secure.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 9 Nov. 2026
Definition of partner
Noun
  • The partners of billionaires have long been appointed to roles distributing their spouses’ wealth through philanthropic and political giving.
    — Julia Black, Vanity Fair, 2 Nov. 2026
  • As the journalists finalized their divorces with their ex-spouses in 2023, reports of a budding romance came to the forefront.
    — Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of spouse
Noun
  • The vehicle will likely show them its flaws — and your better half will probably be the one to immediately fix them.
    — Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Actors from hit shows such as The Pitt, Shrinking, The Bear, Pluribus took the opportunity to dress to nines and head for a fun night out with their better halves by their side.
    — Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of better half
Noun
  • Almudena López, 74, and her husband attended Wednesday's protest in Madrid thinking of their children.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 12 Nov. 2026
  • Molly Allen told The Denver Post that her husband has been passionate about working with charitable organizations since entering the league, but the couple has also found community staples since arriving in Denver in 2023.
    — Sam Jane, Denver Post, 11 Nov. 2026
Definition of husband

Browse Nearby Words

significantly
significant other
significant others
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Significant other.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/significant%20other. Accessed 13 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Nov. 13

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
speech-bubble-untangle
Simplify The Convoluted Expression Quiz A quiz that’s as “uncomplicated as a round de...
See All