husband

American  

[huhz-buhnd] / ˈhʌz bənd /

noun

1. a married man, especially when considered in relation to his partner in marriage.

2. British. a manager.

3. Archaic. a prudent or frugal manager.

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verb (used with object)

1. to manage, especially with prudent economy.

2. to use frugally; conserve.

   to husband one's resources.

   Synonyms:

   hoard, store, save, preserve

3. Archaic.

   1. to be or become a husband to; marry.

   2. to find a husband for.

   3. to till; cultivate.

husband British  

/ ˈhʌzbənd /

noun

1. a woman's partner in marriage

2. archaic

   1. a manager of an estate

   2. a frugal person

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verb

1. to manage or use (resources, finances, etc) thriftily

2. archaic

   1. (tr) to find a husband for

   2. (of a woman) to marry (a man)

3. obsolete (tr) to till (the soil)

Other Word Forms

• husbander noun
• husbandless adjective
• unhusbanded adjective

Etymology

Origin of husband

before 1000; Middle English husband ( e ), Old English hūsbonda master of the house < Old Norse hūsbōndi, equivalent to hūs house + bōndi ( bō-, variant of bū- dwell ( see boor) + -nd present participle suffix + -i inflectional ending)

Explanation

A husband is a married man. Your grandfather might joke that he and your grandmother have been husband and wife for so long because she has the patience of a saint and he is deaf as a post. The word husband comes from the Old Norse hūsbōndi, where hūs meant house and bōndi meant dweller. As a verb, husband means to conserve resources and use them frugally. Because of the flooding in the area, roads are cut off and everyone is being asked to husband their supplies. This conservation of resources sense of husband also occurs in the related noun husbandry.

Example Sentences

Once upon a time, I was meandering down the road of life with my husband, Jon.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026

She finds comfort in the last place a self-described “city mouse” expects to find it — in the wild majesty of Montana, which her husband loved so well.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 21, 2026

Chris Adamson, 63, from Leeds, was enjoying a mini-break with her husband at the hotel in Lincoln on 8 April, when she heard the door click and a man entered their room.

From BBC • Apr. 20, 2026

Chavez-DeRemer, who served one term in the US House as an Oregon representative, has not personally been accused of wrongdoing in the case involving her father and husband.

From Barron's • Apr. 20, 2026

I knew Aunt Kitty was telling more of her tales of woe about an imprisoned husband, the forger, and Mrs. Maroney was eating it up.

From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan

Related Words

• companion
• partner
• spouse