# significant other

CEFR B2 · Compound

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/significant-other
Updated: 2026-07-27

## Definition

A person's husband, wife, or romantic partner. People often use it when they don't want to state whether a couple is married, or the exact kind of relationship.

For teachers: A person's spouse or established romantic partner — a deliberately neutral term that avoids specifying marital status, gender, or relationship type. Common on forms and in polite or inclusive contexts.

## Examples

- You're welcome to bring your significant other to the party.
- The invitation said each guest could bring a significant other, so Priya brought her girlfriend.
- The company's benefits policy was rewritten to cover an employee's significant other, whether or not the couple had chosen to marry.

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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.