Definition

Noun: 1. A wife who has married a man with whom she has been living for some time (especially if she is pregnant at the time): This term historically refers to a woman who was cohabiting with a man and then married him, thereby gaining social respectability or "honor" through marriage. The phrase often implies the marriage occurred to legitimize a sexual relationship or a pregnancy.

Usage

The term is used in a specific, often dated or ironic, social context. It describes the change in a woman's social status from a cohabiting partner to a legally married wife. * It is frequently used in the fixed phrase "to make an honest woman of (someone)," meaning for a man to marry his female partner, especially under societal pressure.

Examples

• Noun:
  • After years of living together, he finally made an honest woman of her.
  • In the old story, the knight returns to marry the maiden and make an honest woman of her.
  • The phrase "She's an honest woman now" was sometimes said after a wedding that followed a long engagement or cohabitation.

Advanced Usage / Nuances

• The term and the associated phrase "make an honest woman of" are now often considered archaic, sexist, or humorous. They reflect outdated social norms where a woman's "honor" was tied to her marital status, and cohabitation was socially disapproved of.
• It is rarely used in serious modern contexts without a layer of irony or historical reference.

Variants and Related Words

• To make an honest woman of someone (idiomatic phrase): To marry a woman, particularly one with whom one has been in a long-term relationship or by whom one has made pregnant.
  • Example: "Her family always hoped he would make an honest woman of her."

Synonyms

• Wife (a neutral, standard term for a married woman).
• Bride (specifically at the time of marriage).

Notes on Meaning

• The core meaning hinges on the transition from an unofficial to an official, socially sanctioned relationship (marriage).
• The adjective "honest" in this context is a societal label meaning "respectable" or "chaste," not a comment on her truthfulness.

Noun

1. a wife who has married a man with whom she has been living for some time (especially if she is pregnant at the time)
   • he made an honest woman of her