ENGLISH
REFERENCE

husband

n. countable
A1 Beginner Oxford US //ˈhəzbənd// UK //hˈʌsbənd// hus·band Archaic Dialect General-service

n. the man that a person is married to. You use this word to describe a male partner in a legal marriage.

n. a married man, considered in relation to his spouse.


SIMPLE

Her husband works at the local hospital.

CONTEXTUAL

After the wedding ceremony, the couple introduced themselves as husband and wife to their gathered friends and family.

COMPLEX

While the legal definition of a husband has remained constant, the social expectations regarding his role in domestic labor have shifted significantly over the last century.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Origin

From Middle English husbonde, from Old English hūsbonda (“head of household”), from Old Norse húsbóndi, from hús + bóndi, corresponding to Proto-Germanic hūsą (“house”) and būandz (“dwelling, residing”, present participle). Compare English house and bond³.

Usage

Commonly paired with the possessive adjectives 'my', 'your', 'her', or 'their'.

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