wife

¹

[ wahyf ]

noun

, plural wives [wahyvz].

1. a married woman, especially when considered in relation to her partner in marriage.
2. a woman ( archaic or dial., except in idioms):

   old wives' tale.

verb (used with or without object)

, wifed, wif·ing.

1. Rare. wive.

-wife

²

1. a combining form of wife, now unproductive, occurring in compound words that in general designate traditional roles or occupations of women:

   fishwife; goodwife; housewife; midwife.

wife

/ waɪf /

noun

1. a man's partner in marriage; a married woman uxorial
2. an archaic or dialect word for woman
3. take to wife
   to marry (a woman)

Derived Forms

• ˈwifeless, adjective
• ˈwifehood, noun
• ˈwifeliness, noun
• ˈwifely, adjective
• ˈwifeˌlike, adjective

Other Words From

• wifedom noun
• wifeless adjective
• wifeless·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of wife¹

before 900; Middle English, Old English wīf woman; cognate with Dutch wijf, German Weib, Old Norse vīf

Word History and Origins

Origin of wife¹

Old English wīf; related to Old Norse vīf (perhaps from vīfathr veiled), Old High German wīb (German Weib )

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. take to wife, to marry (a particular woman):

   He took an heiress to wife.

More idioms and phrases containing wife

see under wives .

Example Sentences

He laundered the stolen cryptocurrency with the help of his wife Heather Morgan, who used the alias Razzlekhan to promote her hip hop music.

From BBC

In 2022, the Wichita Police Department in Kansas was forced to revoke access to its network of license plate readers after a police lieutenant allegedly used the system to stalk his estranged wife, according to reporting from news station KWCH.

From Los Angeles Times

In 2018, James became emotional during a TV interview while discussing the recent death of Popovich’s wife, Erin.

From Los Angeles Times

She's a movie star's wife at this point in her story, well past her days of setting bombs in the name of struggle.

From Salon

He has been married three times, shares a total of seven children and stepchildren with his third wife, and once said on television that he doesn’t wash his hands because germs aren’t real.

From Slate

Related Words

• bride
• companion
• partner
• roommate
• spouse