Meanings
comparative more wively · superlative most wively
- obsoleteObsolete form of wifely.
With all the tenderness of Wively Love
1690, [John] Dryden, Amphitryon; or, The Two Sosia’s. […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson, […]; and M. Tonson […], published 1691, →OCLC, (please specify the page)2 more examples
But Basilius could not abstaine from praising Parthenia , as the perfect picture of a womanly vertue , and wively
The New Arcadia
a. 1587, Philippe Sidnei [i.e., Philip Sidney], “(please specify the folio)”, in [Fulke Greville; Matthew Gwinne; John Florio], editors, The Countesse of Pembrokes Arcadia [The New Arcadia], London: […] [John Windet] for William Ponsonbie, published 1590, →OCLCHence, self sacrifice like that of original Sati became a divine example of wively devotion, the best measure of judging the women's virtue as well as her loyalty towards her husband.
2004, Journal of Historical Research, volumes 46-48, page 49
Origin
- Middle Englishwifly
- Englishwively
From Middle English wifly. By surface analysis, wife + -ly.
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
wively. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wively
“wively.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wively. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “wively,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wively.
Source: wively on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.