Word
spouse
US/ˈspaʊs/
UK/spˈaʊs/
Definitions
01marriage partner
B1 · Intermediate Countable noun Law Formal
n. the person you are married to; your husband or wife.
n. 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.
02to marry
C2 · Proficiency Archaic
v. to get married to someone.
v. 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.
Antonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “spouse” in context.
Verb
01. accompany a spouse
“Diplomatic staff are often permitted to have their spouses accompany them on overseas postings.”
verb + noun
02. survive a spouse
“In many cases, the widow survived her spouse by more than twenty years.”
verb + noun
Adjective
03. dependent spouse
“The tax code provides specific allowances for a taxpayer with a dependent spouse.”
adj + noun
04. estranged spouse
“He had to seek legal advice regarding the division of assets with his estranged spouse.”
adj + noun
05. prospective spouse
“The couple attended pre-marital counseling to discuss their expectations of a prospective spouse.”
adj + noun
Noun
06. spouse of the deceased
“The pension benefits are typically transferred to the surviving spouse of the deceased.”
noun + of + noun
07. spouse visa
“She applied for a spouse visa to join her husband who was working in London.”
noun + noun
Real-World Examples
“Shared beliefs and values may matter more when people think about spouses, relatives or close friends than when they think about neighbors, colleagues or strangers online.” “One spouse among the 200 or so family members said that her husband had texted her that day saying “he hopes he doesn’t wake up tomorrow”.” Etymology
From Middle English spous, spouse, from Anglo-Norman espus m, espuse f and Old French espos m, espose f and by aphesis from Latin spōnsus m (“bridegroom”), spōnsa f (“bride”), from spondeō (“to vow, pledge”), from Proto-Indo-European *spend-. Displaced native Old English ġemaca. Related to espouse and sponsor.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
Idioms
01. work spouse
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · AdvancedOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/spouse