widowhood

W4I1D2O1W4H4O1O1D2
/ˈwɪd.əʊ.hʊd/US/ˈwɪd.oʊ.hʊd/

noun

The state or period of being a widow or widower.

“enter widowhood”

OriginMiddle English widwehede →
UncommonScrabble 20
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Meanings

nounwidowhood (countable and uncountable, plural widowhoods)

plural widowhoods

  1. countableuncountableThe state or period of being a widow or widower.

    enter widowhood

    4 more examples

    She returned to work several years after entering widowhood.

    The novel explores the loneliness and financial difficulties she experienced in widowhood.

    years of widowhood

    life in widowhood

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
widowdomwidowity

Origin

  1. Middle Englishwidwehede
  2. Englishwidowhood

From Middle English widwehede, equivalent to widow + -hood. Compare widowerhood.

More words from Middle English

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek χηρεία
  • χηρεία (khēreía)The period of being a widow
Catalan viduïtat
  • viduïtatThe period of being a widow
Danish enkestand
  • enkestandThe period of being a widow
Esperanto vidvado
  • vidvadoThe period of being a widow
Finnish leskeys
  • leskeysThe period of being a widow
French veuvage
  • veuvageThe period of being a widow
German Witwenschaft, Witwentum
  • WitwenschaftThe period of being a widow
  • WitwentumThe period of being a widow
  • WitwenstandThe period of being a widow
  • VerwitwungThe period of being a widow
Greek χηρεία
  • χηρεία (chireía)The period of being a widow
Hungarian özvegység
  • özvegységThe period of being a widow
Irish baintreachas
  • baintreachasThe period of being a widow
Italian vedovanza
  • vedovanzaThe period of being a widow
Latin viduitās
  • viduitāsThe period of being a widow
Māori pouarutanga
  • pouarutangaThe period of being a widow
Polish wdowieństwo
  • wdowieństwoThe period of being a widow
Portuguese viuvez
  • viuvezThe period of being a widow
Romanian văduvie
  • văduvieThe period of being a widow
Russian вдовство́
  • вдовство́ (vdovstvó)The period of being a widow
Spanish viudez, viudedad
  • viudezThe period of being a widow
  • viudedadThe period of being a widow
Swahili ujane
  • ujaneThe period of being a widow
Swedish änkestånd
  • änkeståndThe period of being a widow
Turkish dulluk
  • dullukThe period of being a widow
Welsh gweddwdod
  • gweddwdodThe period of being a widow
Cite this entry
APA

widowhood. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/widowhood

MLA

“widowhood.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/widowhood. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “widowhood,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/widowhood.

Source: widowhood on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.