wife

/waif/

Thân thiện

A man and his wife walk hand in hand through a park.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A married woman; a woman joined in marriage to a man: The term "wife" refers specifically to a woman who is united to another person (typically a man) in a legal or formal marriage partnership.
   • A female spouse: The female partner in a marital relationship.

Usage and Examples

• Noun:
  • He introduced Sarah as his wife. (He presented Sarah as the woman he is married to.)
  • She has been a devoted wife for twenty years. (She has been a loyal and committed married woman for two decades.)
  • The company's policy extends benefits to employees and their wives. (The policy includes married female spouses of employees.)

Advanced Usage and Nuances

• "To take to wife" (archaic): To marry a woman.
  • The king took the noblewoman to wife. (The king married the noblewoman.)
• The term can be used in formal, legal, and everyday contexts to denote the marital status and role of a woman.

Variants and Related Words

• Housewife (n): A woman whose main occupation is managing her family's home. (Note: This is a compound word, not a direct variant of "wife" alone).
• Midwife (n): A person who assists women in childbirth. (Note: This is a compound word with a different etymology).
• Wifely (adj): Characteristic of or suitable for a wife.
  • She offered him wifely advice. (She gave him advice characteristic of a spouse.)

Synonyms

• Spouse: A person's partner in marriage (gender-neutral).
• Partner: A member of a couple in a long-term relationship, which may or may not be legally formalized.
• Better half (idiomatic, informal): A humorous or affectionate term for one's spouse.

Antonyms

• Husband: A married man; a man's partner in marriage.
• Widow: A woman whose spouse has died.

Related Phrases and Idioms

• "Wife material" (informal): A phrase describing a woman considered to have the qualities deemed suitable for being a wife.
  • He thinks she is wife material. (He believes she has the qualities to be a good wife.)
• "Old wives' tale": A widely held but traditional belief or superstition that is considered unscientific or foolish.
  • That story is just an old wives' tale. (That story is a superstition, not a fact.)

Học thuật

Noun

1. a married woman; a man's partner in marriage

Từ đồng nghĩa

• married woman