Word
bridal
US/ˈbɹaɪdəɫ/
UK/bɹˈaɪdəl/
Definition
n. an old word for a wedding or the party after a wedding.
n. a wedding feast or the marriage ceremony itself. This sense is restricted to historical or highly stylised literary contexts.
Examples
“She wore a beautiful white bridal gown.”
“The couple chose a small garden for their bridal shower before the main ceremony.”
“The intricate lace of her bridal veil caught the morning light, creating a soft halo around her face as she waited.”
Examples
simple
“She wore a beautiful white bridal gown.”
contextual
“The couple chose a small garden for their bridal shower before the main ceremony.”
complex
“The intricate lace of her bridal veil caught the morning light, creating a soft halo around her face as she waited.”
Teaching tip
This noun sense is no longer used in modern conversation; learners should use 'wedding' instead.
Real-World Examples
“Similar with getting married.” There was never a bridal Pinterest board for Jepsen, hardly even the thought of a husband.” “Photographs from the celebration show her smiling among relatives and catching the bridal bouquet.” Etymology
From Middle English bridale, from Old English brȳdealo (“wedding ale; wedding feast”). The attributive usage was strengthened by association with bride + -al.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Synonyms
Word family
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/bridal