better half

American  

noun

1. a person's wife.

2. a person's husband.

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better half British  

noun

1. humorous one's spouse

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better half Idioms  

1. Also, better part . The larger amount or majority of something, as in I won't be long; the better half of this job is complete , or I have spent the better part of my life in this city . Sir Philip Sidney used the first term in Arcadia (1580): “I ... shall think the better half of it already achieved.” The variant appears in a well-known proverb, discretion is the better part of valor .

2. Also, my better half . One's (my) spouse, as in I'm not sure if we can go; I'll have to check with my better half . Originally this expression meant “a close friend or lover,” and by the 16th century it referred to either a wife or lover. Sidney used it in this way, again in Arcadia: “My dear, my better half (said he), I find I must now leave thee.” Today it tends to be used lightly for either husband or wife. “Late 1500s”

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Etymology

Origin of better half

First recorded in 1830–40

Example Sentences

Three, actually, if you count Seehorn’s Kim Wexler, Saul Goodman’s better half in the “Breaking Bad” spinoff “Better Call Saul.”

From Salon • Nov. 26, 2025

“Revenue and costs came in at the better half of their respective guidance ranges, significantly improving our financial performance throughout the quarter.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 28, 2025

I’m recently married, and my better half would know the days that I have to go to work and would always make sure I was properly received when I got home.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 15, 2023

"He doesn't cower. He never takes the path of least resistance. He always stands up for what's right," she said, calling her husband her "better half."

From Reuters • Jun. 2, 2023

“I should hope not. I’ve spent the better half of a day cleaning the place.”

From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el