my late husband

Meanings

1. 1phrasefixed phrase

   The man I was married to, who has died.

   Grammar: Used as a noun phrase; 'late' here means 'dead' and comes before the noun.

   Patterns

   • my late husband
   • her late husband
   • his late wife

   My late husband loved gardening, so I still keep his roses.

   She spoke about her late husband with a smile.

   My late husband's birthday is next week, so I will visit his grave.

2. 2phrasefixed phraseeuphemistic

   Used to refer politely to the husband of the speaker or of another person who has recently died.

   Grammar: Often used in formal or sensitive contexts to avoid saying 'dead husband' directly.

   Patterns

   • my late husband
   • your late husband
   • the late husband of someone

   Please accept my condolences on the loss of your late husband.

   The late husband of the mayor was honored at the ceremony.

   In her speech, she thanked her late husband for his support.

Common combinations

my late husband's

My late husband's watch still works perfectly.

her late husband

Her late husband was a teacher in this school.

the late husband of

The late husband of our neighbor was a kind man.

my late husband and I

My late husband and I traveled to Italy every summer.

Synonyms and how they differ

my deceased husband

More formal and direct; 'deceased' is often used in legal or official writing, while 'late' is gentler in everyday speech.

my departed husband

Literary or old-fashioned; 'departed' sounds more poetic, while 'late' is neutral and common.

Word family

late adjective

Meaning 'no longer living' when used before a person's name or relation.

Commonly confused: my late husband or lately?

Practice

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Write a sentence using “my late husband”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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