wife

1 of 2

noun (1)

ˈwīf How to pronounce wife (audio)
plural wives ˈwīvz How to pronounce wife (audio)
Synonyms of wifenext
1
a
dialect : woman
b
: a woman acting in a specified capacity
—used in combination
fishwife
2
: a female partner in a marriage
wifehood
ˈwīf-ˌhu̇d How to pronounce wife (audio)
ˈwī-ˌfu̇d
noun
wifeless
ˈwī-fləs How to pronounce wife (audio)
adjective

wifehood

2 of 2

noun (2)

wife·​hood ˈwīfˌhu̇d How to pronounce wifehood (audio)
: the quality or state of being a wife
achieved the status of wifehood

Synonyms of wife

Relevance

Noun (1)

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of wife in a Sentence

Noun (1) We met him and his wife. a husband and wife who treat each other as equals in their marriage
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Moore’s Mona Friedman is indeed a familiar figure, a shy and impressionable wife who quietly nods along at dinner, lets people cut in front of her at the store, and seems generally uninterested in sticking up for herself. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 6 Sep. 2026 The inspiration behind Keoghan’s signature eyebrow arch was fully revealed when Majors’ wife, Faith, approached Keoghan at the Kentucky Derby. — Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2026 What counted as feminist was whether a woman knew herself well enough to make her own choices rather than be defined as the daughter or wife of a man. — ABC News, 5 Sep. 2026 Police say Cremasco Cicero and his wife are the only people listed on the apartment lease, which has been in effect since July 23, 2024. — Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for wife

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English wif, from Old English wīf; akin to Old High German wīb wife and probably to Tocharian B kwīpe female pudenda

Noun (2)

Middle English wifhod, wifhode, from Old English wīfhād womanhood, from wīf woman, wife + -hād -hood

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of wife was before the 12th century

Phrases Containing wife

Rhymes for wife

See All Rhymes for wife

Browse Nearby Words

wiesenboden
wife
wife's equity
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Wife.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wife. Accessed 6 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

wife

noun
ˈwīf How to pronounce wife (audio)
plural wives ˈwīvz How to pronounce wife (audio)
1
dialect : woman sense 1
2
: a female partner in a marriage

More from Merriam-Webster on wife

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about wife

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All