nuptial

American  

[nuhp-shuhl, -chuhl] / ˈnʌp ʃəl, -tʃəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to marriage or the marriage ceremony.

   the nuptial day;

   nuptial vows.

2. of, relating to, or characteristic of mating or the mating season of animals.

   nuptial behavior.

---

noun

1. Usually nuptials a wedding or marriage.

nuptial British  

/ -tʃəl, ˈnʌpʃəl /

adjective

1. relating to marriage; conjugal

   nuptial vows

2. zoology of or relating to mating

   the nuptial flight of a queen bee

---

Pronunciation

The pronunciations and , by analogy with such words as mutual and actual, are not considered standard.

Related Words

See marriage.

Other Word Forms

• nuptially adverb
• quasi-nuptial adjective

Etymology

Origin of nuptial

First recorded in 1480–90; ( Middle French ) from Latin nuptiālis, equivalent to nupti(ae) “marriage, wedding,” derivative of nūbere “(of a woman) to marry” + -ālis adjective suffix; nubile

Example Sentences

The Ancient Greek and Roman elite held multi-day nuptial feasts, a tradition that was carried into the Middle Ages when weddings served as important political and social transactions between countries and kingdoms.

From Salon • Apr. 12, 2024

But the perfect wedding day almost didn’t come together for two families who traveled to the island for nuptial festivities that almost got derailed by Hurricane Ian’s landfall and aftermath.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 1, 2022

Brown and Kountz both shared the nuptial news on Instagram.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 1, 2022

The researchers even have evidence that suggests that all of these new pressures are causing changes in the chemistry of the glucose-averse male’s nuptial gift potentially so he can continue attracting females.

From New York Times • May 27, 2022

They used her Uncle Nicolas’s books, the dishes, the boxes, the furniture, and the drapes of bygone days to arrange their astonishing nuptial chamber.

From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende