ENGLISH
REFERENCE

bridal

n.
US //ˈbɹaɪdəɫ// UK //bɹˈaɪdəl// bridal
  1. 1 a wedding feast (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Archaic Literary

    an old word for a wedding or the party after a wedding.

    a wedding feast or the marriage ceremony itself. This sense is restricted to historical or highly stylised literary contexts.

    Example

    The old stories tell of a grand bridal that lasted for three days.

    Example

    The poet describes a rural bridal where the entire village gathered to celebrate the union with music and dance.

    Teacher's tip

    This noun sense is no longer used in modern conversation; learners should use 'wedding' instead.
Origin

From Middle English bridale, from Old English brȳdealo (“wedding ale; wedding feast”). The attributive usage was strengthened by association with bride + -al.

Word family

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