# work spouse

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/work-spouse
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A man or woman in the workplace with whom one shares a special relationship similar to marriage, with confidences, loyalties, shared jokes and experiences, and an unusual degree of honesty or openness.

## Examples

- My work spouse and I always eat lunch together.
- I told my work spouse about the promotion before I told anyone else in the office.
- After a decade of navigating corporate challenges side-by-side, they developed a bond so profound that colleagues naturally referred to them as a work spouse pair.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.