Meaning & use
estranged wife
Last updated
Meaning
phrasefixed phrase
A wife who lives apart from her husband or is emotionally distant from him, without the marriage necessarily being legally ended.
Grammar: Used like a countable noun phrase: an estranged wife, his estranged wife; it differs from ex-wife because divorce is not required.
Patterns
- an estranged wife
- his estranged wife
- the estranged wife of
The actor attended the event with his estranged wife, though they had lived apart for months.
In the will, he left the house to his estranged wife and the cottage to his sister.
Police spoke to the man’s estranged wife during the investigation.
Common combinations
- estranged husband
- She remained civil with her estranged husband for the children’s sake.
- become estranged
- Over several years, the couple became estranged after repeated arguments.
- estranged couple
- The estranged couple still met to discuss finances.
Synonyms and how they differ
- ex-wife
- Means the marriage has legally ended; estranged wife may still be married.
- separated wife
- Emphasizes living apart; estranged can include emotional distance even before formal separation.
Word family
- estrange verb
- To cause someone to become emotionally distant or separated.
- estranged adjective
- No longer close or living apart from a relative, spouse, or friend.
- estrangement noun
- The state or period of being emotionally distant or separated.
Commonly confused: estranged wife or divorced? estranged wife or strange?
estranged wife vs divorced
Divorced marks a completed legal end; estranged describes separation or distance that may not be final.
estranged wife vs strange
Strange means odd or unfamiliar; the prefix es- changes the meaning toward distance and loss of closeness.
Practice
Which description fits “estranged wife” best?
Choose one answer.
Estranged wife implies a wife separated by distance or conflict, not necessarily divorced; completed divorce would make her an ex-wife.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “estranged wife”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.