SPOUSE Synonyms: 27 Similar and Opposite Words

spouse

noun

ˈspau̇s

Definition of spouse

as in partner

the person to whom another is married employees and their spouses are covered by the health plan

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of spouse After the spouse dies, the remainder typically goes to the children. — Hayley Cuccinello, CNBC, 15 Oct. 2026 More recently, the spouses have shared updates on their relationship to social media via their podcast, VC Testimonies. — Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 15 Oct. 2026 He was arrested three days before he, his spouse and a third unnamed family member were set to depart on a one-way flight to Saudi Arabia via Istanbul. — Emily Forlini, Fortune, 14 Oct. 2026 Prosecutors have not accused Alfozan's spouse of any criminal wrongdoing. — ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for spouse

Recent Examples of Synonyms for spouse

Noun

The question confronting Israel and its international partners is not simply whether money should flow into Gaza, but also who controls it—and whether the next arrangement will avoid the failures of the last.

— Eric Cortellessa, Time, 18 Oct. 2026
In the middle of one of those summer heatwaves this year, Kember was in the promotional cycle for a record with his new partner of 15 years, Panda Bear.

— Gabriel Szatan, Pitchfork, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of partner

Noun

Jared Kushner, husband to Trump’s oldest daughter, has helped lead diplomatic negotiations in Iran, Ukraine, and Gaza, alongside senior officials such as Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Steve Witkoff.

— Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 15 Oct. 2026
My husband’s family grew up vacationing in Morehead City, and El’s has been part of their story for decades.

— Abby Price, Southern Living, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of husband

Noun

In Oxford, Archer met Mary Weeden, a chemistry student who became his wife in 1966.

— The Week UK, TheWeek, 17 Oct. 2026
Murdaugh, a once-rich and imposing heir to a Southern legal dynasty, is scheduled to stand trial again in April on two murder charges in the June 2021 shooting deaths of his wife, Maggie, and younger son, Paul, at their home in Colleton County.

— Jeffrey Collins, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of wife

Browse Nearby Words

spousal

spouse

spouses

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Spouse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spouse. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of spouse

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

compunction

Popular in Grammar & Usage

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

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

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

Popular in Wordplay

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Popular

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

Games & Quizzes