Meanings
nounspouse (plural spouses)
plural spouses
- A person in a marriage or marital relationship.
People should treat their spouses with respect.
2 more examples
At last such grace I found, and meanes I wrought, / That I that Ladie to my spouse had wonne
1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto IV”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 21But mama got wise to the game / The youngest of five kids, hon here it is / After ten years without no spouse / Mama's gettin married in the house
1992, Pete Rock and CL Smooth, “They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)”, in Mecca and the Soul BrotherSynonyms: better half, consort, helpmate, helpmeet, mate, other half, partner, spousy
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA person in a marriage or marital relationship.
More synonyms by meaning
nouna person's partner in marriage
Similar
Broader
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*spend-
- Latinspōnsus m“bridegroom”
- Old Frenchespos m
- Anglo-Normanespus m
- Middle Englishspous
- Englishspouse
From Middle English spous, spouse, from Anglo-Norman espus m, espuse f and Old French espos m, espose f and by aphesis from Latin spōnsus m (“bridegroom”), spōnsa f (“bride”), from spondeō (“to vow, pledge”), from Proto-Indo-European *spend-. Displaced native Old English ġemaca. Related to espouse and sponsor.
More words from Middle English, Anglo-Norman, Old French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic زَوْج, زَوْجَة
- زَوْج (zawj)person in a marriage or marital relationship
- زَوْجَة (zawja)person in a marriage or marital relationship
Basque ezkonlagun, ezkontide
- ezkonlagunperson in a marriage or marital relationship
- ezkontideperson in a marriage or marital relationship
Bulgarian съпру́г, съпру́га
- съпру́г (săprúg)person in a marriage or marital relationship
- съпру́га (săprúga)person in a marriage or marital relationship
- мъж (măž)person in a marriage or marital relationship
- жена́ (žená)person in a marriage or marital relationship
Catalan cònjuge, espòs
- cònjugeperson in a marriage or marital relationship
- espòsperson in a marriage or marital relationship
- esposaperson in a marriage or marital relationship
Chinese Mandarin 配偶
- 配偶 (pèi'ǒu)person in a marriage or marital relationship
Czech choť, choť
- choťperson in a marriage or marital relationship
- choťperson in a marriage or marital relationship
- manželperson in a marriage or marital relationship
- mužperson in a marriage or marital relationship
- manželkaperson in a marriage or marital relationship
- ženaperson in a marriage or marital relationship
Danish ægtefælle, mage
- ægtefælleperson in a marriage or marital relationship
- mageperson in a marriage or marital relationship
Dutch echtgenoot, eega
- echtgenootperson in a marriage or marital relationship
- eegaperson in a marriage or marital relationship
- wederhelftperson in a marriage or marital relationship
- gadeperson in a marriage or marital relationship
- huwelijkspartnerperson in a marriage or marital relationship
Esperanto geedzo, spozo
- geedzoperson in a marriage or marital relationship
- spozoperson in a marriage or marital relationship
Estonian abikaasa
- abikaasaperson in a marriage or marital relationship
Finnish puoliso, aviopuoliso
- puolisoperson in a marriage or marital relationship
- aviopuolisoperson in a marriage or marital relationship
- siippaperson in a marriage or marital relationship
French époux, épouse
- épouxperson in a marriage or marital relationship
- épouseperson in a marriage or marital relationship
German Gatte, Gattin
- Gatteperson in a marriage or marital relationship
- Gattinperson in a marriage or marital relationship
- Ehepartnerperson in a marriage or marital relationship
- Ehepartnerinperson in a marriage or marital relationship
Greek σύζυγος
- σύζυγος (sýzygos)person in a marriage or marital relationship
Hebrew בֶּן זוּג, בַּת זוּג
- בֶּן זוּג (ben zúg)person in a marriage or marital relationship
- בַּת זוּג (bat zúg)person in a marriage or marital relationship
Hindi जीवन साथी
- जीवन साथी (jīvan sāthī)person in a marriage or marital relationship
Hungarian házastárs, élettárs
- házastársperson in a marriage or marital relationship
- élettársperson in a marriage or marital relationship
- hitvesperson in a marriage or marital relationship
Icelandic maki
- makiperson in a marriage or marital relationship
Irish céile
- céileperson in a marriage or marital relationship
Italian sposo, sposa
- sposoperson in a marriage or marital relationship
- sposaperson in a marriage or marital relationship
- coniugeperson in a marriage or marital relationship
- consorteperson in a marriage or marital relationship
Japanese 配偶者, 伴侶
- 配偶者 (haigūsha)person in a marriage or marital relationship
- 伴侶 (hanryo)person in a marriage or marital relationship
Korean 배우자
- 배우자 (bae'uja)person in a marriage or marital relationship
Latin coniūnx, marītus
- coniūnxperson in a marriage or marital relationship
- marītusperson in a marriage or marital relationship
- marītaperson in a marriage or marital relationship
- uxorperson in a marriage or marital relationship
- virperson in a marriage or marital relationship
Latvian dzīvesbiedrs, dzīvesbiedre
- dzīvesbiedrsperson in a marriage or marital relationship
- dzīvesbiedreperson in a marriage or marital relationship
- dzīvesbiedreneperson in a marriage or marital relationship
Malay pasangan, teman hidup
- pasanganperson in a marriage or marital relationship
- teman hidupperson in a marriage or marital relationship
Māori āwhai, makau
- āwhaiperson in a marriage or marital relationship
- makauperson in a marriage or marital relationship
- hoa mārenaperson in a marriage or marital relationship
Norwegian Bokmål ektefelle, ektemake
- ektefelleperson in a marriage or marital relationship
- ektemakeperson in a marriage or marital relationship
Persian همسر
- همسر (hamsar)person in a marriage or marital relationship
Polish małżonek, małżonka
- małżonekperson in a marriage or marital relationship
- małżonkaperson in a marriage or marital relationship
- mążperson in a marriage or marital relationship
- żonaperson in a marriage or marital relationship
Portuguese cônjuge, esposo
- cônjugeperson in a marriage or marital relationship
- esposoperson in a marriage or marital relationship
- esposaperson in a marriage or marital relationship
Russian супру́г, супру́га
- супру́г (suprúg)person in a marriage or marital relationship
- супру́га (suprúga)person in a marriage or marital relationship
Scottish Gaelic cèile, fear-cèile
- cèileperson in a marriage or marital relationship
- fear-cèileperson in a marriage or marital relationship
- bean-chèileperson in a marriage or marital relationship
Slovak manžel, manželka
- manželperson in a marriage or marital relationship
- manželkaperson in a marriage or marital relationship
- mužperson in a marriage or marital relationship
- ženaperson in a marriage or marital relationship
Spanish cónyuge, consorte
- cónyugeperson in a marriage or marital relationship
- consorteperson in a marriage or marital relationship
- cónyugueperson in a marriage or marital relationship
- prójimoperson in a marriage or marital relationship
- oísloperson in a marriage or marital relationship
Swedish äkta make, äkta maka
- äkta makeperson in a marriage or marital relationship
- äkta makaperson in a marriage or marital relationship
Tagalog asawa
- asawaperson in a marriage or marital relationship
Thai คู่สมรส
- คู่สมรส (kûu-sǒm-rót)person in a marriage or marital relationship
Turkish eş
- eşperson in a marriage or marital relationship
Ukrainian супру́г, супру́га
- супру́г (suprúh)person in a marriage or marital relationship
- супру́га (suprúha)person in a marriage or marital relationship
- чолові́к (čolovík)person in a marriage or marital relationship
- дружи́на (družýna)person in a marriage or marital relationship
- жі́нка (žínka)person in a marriage or marital relationship
Urdu شریک حیات, محرم
- شریک حیات (śarīk-e-hayāt)person in a marriage or marital relationship
- محرم (mahram)person in a marriage or marital relationship
- جیون ساتھی (jīvan-sāthī)person in a marriage or marital relationship
- زوج (zoj)person in a marriage or marital relationship
- ہمسفر (hamsafar)person in a marriage or marital relationship
- رفیق حیات (rafīq-e-hayāt)person in a marriage or marital relationship
- ہمسر (hamsar)person in a marriage or marital relationship
Vietnamese chồng, vợ
- chồngperson in a marriage or marital relationship
- vợperson in a marriage or marital relationship
- nhàperson in a marriage or marital relationship
- phối ngẫuperson in a marriage or marital relationship
Welsh priod
- priodperson in a marriage or marital relationship
Yiddish מיטשלעפֿער, מיטשלעפֿערין
- מיטשלעפֿער (mitshlefer)person in a marriage or marital relationship
- מיטשלעפֿערין (mitshleferin)person in a marriage or marital relationship
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with spouse
housebrowsemouselaosnousblousetaosrousegrousescousearouseManauslouseespousedowsdousedormousedowsegasthaushoussdegausscarousechiausdrowse
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
spouse. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spouse
MLA
“spouse.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spouse. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “spouse,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spouse.
Source: spouse on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.