# spouse

/ˈspaʊs/ (US) · /spˈaʊs/ (UK)

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

## Senses

### 1. marriage partner

noun · CEFR B1 · Formal

the person you are married to; your husband or wife.

For teachers: a person's partner in marriage or a legally recognised union. The term is gender-neutral and frequently appears in legal and official documentation.

- The company allows employees to bring a spouse or partner to the holiday party.
- Under current immigration law, a spouse of a permanent resident may be eligible for a visa after a specific waiting period.

Usage: Commonly used in formal writing and legal forms where 'husband' or 'wife' might be too specific.

Teaching tip: While common in documents, people usually say 'my husband', 'my wife', or 'my partner' in casual conversation.

### 2. to marry

verb · CEFR C2 · Archaic

to get married to someone.

For teachers: to marry or wed a person. This verbal use is largely obsolete in modern prose and is typically replaced by 'marry' or 'espouse'.

- In the old story, the knight sought to spouse the princess.
- The ancient chronicles describe how the king sought to spouse the daughter of his rival to secure a lasting peace treaty.

Teaching tip: This verbal form is extremely rare; students will likely only encounter it in historical literature or poetry.

## Examples

- Employees may bring a spouse to the holiday party.
- The insurance policy provides coverage for both the primary policyholder and their legal spouse.
- While 'husband' and 'wife' are more common in casual conversation, 'spouse' remains the standard term in legislative drafting to ensure gender neutrality and legal precision.

---

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.