widower

[ wid-oh-er ]

noun

1. a man who has lost his spouse by death and has not remarried.

widower

/ ˈwɪdəʊə /

noun

1. a man whose wife has died and who has not remarried

Other Words From

• widow·ered adjective
• widow·er·hood noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of widower¹

1325–75; late Middle English ( widow, -er ¹ ); replacing widow (now dial.), Old English wydewa

Example Sentences

Sadly, I now visit Muse and other locations as a widower, having lost my partner and husband of 29 years in 2020.

From Washington Blade

Obergefell was widower to John Arthur, who died of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and was seeking the right to be recognized as his spouse on his death certificate.

From Washington Blade

He was a widower whose only son had already predeceased him.

From The Daily Beast

The public fingered Monjack as a possible suspect after the widower opposed an autopsy—claims that he vehemently denied.

From The Daily Beast

Were you resistant to having the two get together, or was it the right time for Lewis to finally stop being the lonely widower?

From The Daily Beast

In another village, a widower was picked up from a bus and forcibly sterilised; he died of an infection soon after.

From The Daily Beast

But for now, the multi-millionaire widower has two children at home in Chapel Hill to raise, Emma Claire, 12, and Jack, 10.

From The Daily Beast

Now Dabbler was a widower; he was not of prepossessing appearance, and his h's troubled him, but Dabbler was a warm man.

From Project Gutenberg

A cousin of hers died and left some dozens of young ones and she had to go and take care of them and console the widower.

From Project Gutenberg

Oh, Aunt Jane must come back, she hasnt captivated the widower yet; or he might get married himself.

From Project Gutenberg

In 1822 he lived at Belleville in one of the first houses above Courtille; he had then been a widower for six years.

From Project Gutenberg

He had married the daughter of a farmer of Brie; became a widower in 1833, when he gave himself over to a life of pleasure.

From Project Gutenberg