# widower

/ˈwɪdoʊɝ/ (US) · /wˈɪdəʊɐ/ (UK) · CEFR B2 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/widower
Updated: 2026-05-11

## Definition

a man whose wife has died and who has not married again.

For teachers: a man who has lost his spouse by death and has not remarried.

## Examples

- The elderly widower lives alone in the house they once shared.
- After his wife passed away last year, he became a widower and moved closer to his children for support.
- The novel explores the quiet grief of a recent widower as he navigates the social expectations of his small community while maintaining his late wife's garden.

## Pitfalls

- Not "He is a widow" but "He is a widower" — Learners often use the feminine form 'widow' for both genders, but 'widower' is specifically for men.

## Usage notes

- The masculine counterpart to 'widow'.

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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.