# bridal

/ˈbɹaɪdəɫ/ (US) · /bɹˈaɪdəl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/bridal
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 2. a wedding feast

noun · CEFR C2 · Archaic · Literary

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

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

- The old stories tell of a grand bridal that lasted for three days.
- The poet describes a rural bridal where the entire village gathered to celebrate the union with music and dance.

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

## 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.

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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.