Meaning & use
late husband
Last updated
UK/ˌleɪt ˈhʌzbənd/
US/ˌleɪt ˈhʌzbənd/
Meaning
nouncountableformal
A husband who has died, mentioned politely by his surviving wife or others.
Grammar: Usually with a possessive: my late husband.
Patterns
- someone's late husband
My late husband loved this garden.
She still wears her late husband's ring.
Her late husband founded the company.
Word forms
| plural | late husbands |
|---|
Common combinations
- her late husband
- Her late husband was a pilot.
- my late husband
- My late husband taught me to sail.
- in memory of her late husband
- She donated in memory of her late husband.
- late husband's
- Her late husband's books filled the shelves.
- the late husband of
- He is the late husband of the mayor.
Synonyms and how they differ
- deceased husband
- Deceased husband is more legal and formal, whereas late husband is gentler.
- former husband
- Former husband refers to a divorced man, not one who has died.
- dead husband
- Dead husband is blunt and can sound unfeeling.
- ex-husband
- Ex-husband is informal and refers to a divorce.
Opposites
current husband
Word family
Commonly confused: late husband or ex-husband?
late husband vs ex-husband
An ex-husband is divorced, whereas a late husband has died.
Practice
Which person would speak of a late husband?
Choose one answer.
Late husband means a husband who has died.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “late husband”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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