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lobola

British

/ lɔːˈbɔːlə, ləˈbəʊ- /

noun

(in southern Africa) an African custom by which a bridegroom's family makes a payment in cattle or cash to the bride's family shortly before the marriage

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of lobola

from Nguni ukulobola to give the bride price

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The bride-price, known as lobola, had already been paid in cattle - a prized asset in Zulu culture.

From BBC • Mar. 1, 2025

Unlike the king's other wives, her lobola, or bride price, of about 300 cattle was paid for by the Zulu nation, following a collection within communities.

From BBC • May 5, 2021

He must also determine lobola, the bride- price, which is paid by the groom to the bride’s family.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

My sister Baliwe, who was older than Mabel, had been engaged to be married, and lobola had already been paid.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

“I mean were they married in the Marriage Court, lobola or what?”

From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023