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Definition and meaning of English word "wife"

wife

/waɪf/

Meaning

Noun

A married woman, especially in relation to her spouse.

Reviewed by the TheLernen language teamDefinition sourced from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)

How to use

In formal and informal contexts, 'wife' is used to refer to a married woman in relation to her spouse. For example, 'She is my wife' or 'My wife is a doctor.' Note that 'wife' is a noun and should be used as such, rather than as a verb, as in 'I will wife my farm to my brother.' This is a common mistake made by non-native speakers.

🇬🇧 English

wife

Example

My wife is a doctor.

I love my wife very much.

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Synonyms

a person's partner in marriagea person with whom one has a close relationshipa person's partner in marriage or a close relationshipa person's partner in marriage or a close relationshipa person's partner in marriage or a close relationship

Common phrases

  • my wife and I— used to refer to a married couple
  • my wife and children— used to refer to a married couple with children
  • my wife and I are getting a divorce— used to refer to a married couple getting a divorce
  • my wife and I are going on a honeymoon— used to refer to a newly married couple going on a honeymoon
  • my wife and I are going to the movies— used to refer to a married couple going to the movies

More People & Family words

This concept in other languages

Frequency rank: #230 in English

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does the English word "wife" mean?▼

The English word "wife" means "wife" in English.

How do you pronounce the English word "wife"?▼

You can hear the correct audio pronunciation of the word "wife" by clicking the play button next to the word at the top of this page.

Can I see an example sentence with "wife"?▼

Yes, here is a practical example: "My wife is a doctor." (which translates as "wife").

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