Wife Definition, Pronunciation, and Usage

Meaning 1：married woman (wife)

wife 🔊

/waɪf/

a woman who is married; the female partner in a marriage.

Wife cooking in kitchen with husband, cozy family scene

married woman 🔊

➕

/ˈmær.ɪd ˈwʊm.ən/

A woman who is married to a man, forming the female partner in a marriage.

📁 Category：Social Roles 🔖 Level：Beginner

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Old English 'wīf', meaning 'woman', with a sense shift to 'married woman'.

💡 Mnemonic

Think of 'W' and 'I' and 'F' and 'E' — 'Woman In Family Ever'.

📖 Example

Mark proudly showed his colleagues a picture of his wife and their new baby. 🔊 Mark proudly showed his colleagues a picture of his wife and their new baby.

🔗 Collocations

wife and mother – A woman who is both married and has children

wife-to-be – A woman who is engaged to be married

ex-wife – A former wife after divorce

🔄 Synonyms

spouse (n.) – A person's partner in marriage, can be male or female

bride (n.) – A woman on her wedding day or just after marriage

partner (n.) – A person you share a long-term romantic relationship with, often used for unmarried couples

🚫 Antonyms

husband (n.) – The male partner in a marriage

widow (n.) – A woman whose husband has died and who has not remarried

bachelor (n.) – A man who is not and has never been married

🌱 Derivatives

wifely (adj.) – Relating to or characteristic of a wife

housewife (n.) – A married woman who manages household duties

midwife (n.) – A person trained to assist women in childbirth

📖 Cultural Story

Wife derives from Proto-Germanic '*wībą', originally meaning 'woman' without marital connotation. It is a core kinship term in English.