Meanings
present singular third person wives · participle present wiving · participle past wived · past wived
- ambitransitiveTo marry (a woman).
If he have the condition of a saint and the complexion of a devil, I had rather he should shrive me than wive me.
c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iii]Synonyms: bewife, take to wife, wife
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo marry (a woman).
verbTo provide (someone) with a wife.
Origin
- Old Englishwīfian
- Middle Englishwiven
- Englishwive
From Middle English wiven, iwiven, from Old English wīfian, wīfiġan, ġewīfian (“to take a wife; marry”).
More words from Middle English, Old English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian женя се
- женя се (ženja se)to marry (a woman)
Esperanto edzinigi
- edzinigito marry (a woman)
German heiraten, zur Frau nehmen
- heiratento marry (a woman)
- zur Frau nehmento marry (a woman)
Portuguese esposar, casar
- esposarto marry (a woman)
- casarto marry (a woman)
Romanian căsători
- căsătorito marry (a woman)
Russian жени́ться, пожени́ться
- жени́ться (ženítʹsja)to marry (a woman)
- пожени́ться (poženítʹsja)to marry (a woman)
Tamil மணக்க
- மணக்க (maṇakka)to marry (a woman)
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with wive
Anagrams
Cite this entry
wive. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wive
“wive.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wive. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “wive,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wive.
Source: wive on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.