Meaning & use
prenup
Last updated
UK/ˈpriːnʌp/
US/ˈpriːnʌp/
Meaning
nouncountableinformal
A written agreement a couple makes before marriage saying how money and property will be divided if they separate.
Grammar: Countable: sign a prenup, two prenups.
Patterns
- a prenup between someone and someone
They signed a prenup before the wedding.
He asked his fiancée to consider a prenup.
A prenup can protect a family business.
Word forms
| plural | prenups |
|---|
Common combinations
- sign a prenup
- They agreed to sign a prenup.
- draw up a prenup
- A lawyer drew up the prenup.
- challenge a prenup
- She tried to challenge the prenup in court.
- a valid prenup
- The prenup was ruled valid.
- without a prenup
- They married without a prenup.
Synonyms and how they differ
- prenuptial agreement
- This is the full, formal name; prenup is the short, chatty version.
- premarital agreement
- Premarital agreement is a legal term used in some regions, and is more formal than prenup.
- marriage contract
- Marriage contract is broader and may describe other arrangements, not only financial terms.
Opposites
postnup
Word family
- prenuptial adjective
- Made or happening before marriage.
- nuptials noun
- A wedding.
- postnup noun
- An agreement made after marriage.
Commonly confused: prenup or postnup?
prenup vs postnup
A postnup is signed after the wedding, while a prenup is signed before it.
Practice
Before the wedding, the couple signed a ___ to settle how their property would be divided if they ever separated.
Choose one answer.
A prenup is signed before marriage. A postnup is signed afterward, which does not fit the timing given.
Make it your own
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