# alimony

/ˈæɫəˌmoʊni/ (US) · /ˈælɪməni/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/alimony
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. divorce payments

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal · Technical

money that a person must pay to their former partner after they divorce or separate.

For teachers: a court-ordered allowance paid by one spouse to the other for maintenance following a legal separation or divorce.

- He had to pay his ex-wife monthly alimony for five years after their divorce.
- The judge ruled that the alimony payments would terminate if the recipient remarried or if their financial circumstances improved significantly.

Usage: In many modern legal systems, the term 'spousal support' or 'maintenance' is preferred over 'alimony'.

Teaching tip: While the metadata suggests this can be derogatory, in standard legal English it is a neutral technical term; however, it is often associated with contentious divorce cases.

## Examples

- He pays monthly alimony to his former wife.
- The judge ordered a significant alimony payment because one spouse had stayed home for years to raise the children.
- While child support is strictly for the welfare of the offspring, alimony is intended to mitigate any unfair economic effects of a divorce by providing continuing income to a non-wage-earning spouse.

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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.