Meaning & use
spouse
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Meaning
nouncountableformal
A person's husband or wife, considered in relation to that person in a marriage.
Grammar: A countable noun with plural spouses; gender-neutral, so it covers both husbands and wives.
Patterns
- someone's spouse
- the spouse of someone
- a surviving/former spouse
- with your spouse
Employees may bring their spouse to the company dinner.
The house was registered in the name of her spouse.
He and his spouse have lived abroad for ten years.
Word forms
| plural | spouses |
|---|
Common combinations
- legal spouse
- Only a legal spouse can make certain medical decisions.
- surviving spouse
- The pension is paid to the surviving spouse after death.
- spouse and children
- The visa allows the worker's spouse and children to travel too.
- current/former spouse
- She listed her former spouse on the insurance form.
Synonyms and how they differ
- partner
- Partner is broader and common in speech; it includes unmarried couples, while spouse specifically means a husband or wife.
- husband/wife
- These name the gender of the married person; spouse is neutral and better when gender is unknown or irrelevant.
- significant other
- A vague, informal term for a romantic partner of any kind, with no implication of marriage.
Word family
- spousal adjective
- relating to a husband or wife, as in spousal support (formal/legal).
Commonly confused: spouse or espouse?
spouse vs espouse
Espouse is a verb meaning to publicly support a belief or cause; it has nothing to do with marriage despite the similar look and sound.
Practice
Choose the sentence where “spouse” fits best.
Choose one answer.
Spouse means husband or wife, so bringing one to a formal dinner fits. Plural spouses with one person is inconsistent, espouse means to support a cause, and barking belongs to a pet, not a spouse.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “spouse”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.