spouse
gb/spˈaʊs/ us/spˈaʊs/
B1
English
~ 6300
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
entity
1
Husband, wife, or married partner
The person you are married to.
Usage pattern:
[someone]'s spouse
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "spouse" with "fiancé/fiancée" (a person you are engaged to but not yet married to) or "partner" (which can be used for both married and unmarried couples). Another common mistake is using an incorrect plural form like *spices* instead of the correct *spouses*.
Synonyms
husband (Specifically a male spouse; gender-specific, not neutral like "spouse".)
|
wife (Specifically a female spouse; gender-specific, not neutral like "spouse".)
|
partner (More general; often used for both married and unmarried long-term relationships, while "spouse" implies legal marriage.)
Antonyms
single (Describes someone who is not married and therefore has no spouse.)
|
ex-spouse (Refers to a person who used to be someone’s spouse but is no longer married to them.)
Collocations
loving spouse
|supportive spouse
|future spouse
|choose a spouse
|spouse and children
|spouse or partner
Themes
relationships
|family
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She listed her spouse as her emergency contact.
- Each employee’s spouse is invited to the company dinner.
- He moved to Canada to live with his spouse.
- My spouse and I both work from home now.
Learner examples
- My spouse is at work today.
- He lives in this city with his spouse and two children.
- Her spouse cooks dinner every night.
- I went to the party with my spouse.
Noun
technical
B2
entity
2
Legally recognized married partner
The person the law says you are married to, used in official papers and rules.
Usage pattern:
a spouse of [someone]
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize that in legal or official language, "spouse" can include people who are separated but not divorced, and can include same-sex marriages where these are legally recognized.
Synonyms
legal spouse (Stresses that the marriage is recognized by law, often in contrast with informal or common-law partners.)
|
marital partner (More formal and often used in legal or academic writing about marriage.)
Antonyms
unmarried partner (A partner in a relationship who is not legally married and so is not treated as a spouse in some legal contexts.)
Collocations
dependent spouse
|surviving spouse
|estranged spouse
|former spouse
|eligible spouse
|spouse and dependents
Themes
law
|relationships
|government
Examples
- The benefit is available to the employee’s spouse and dependent children.
- Immigration rules allow a citizen’s spouse to apply for permanent residence.
- In the event of your death, your spouse will receive half of your pension.
- The policy defines a spouse as a person legally married to the insured.
Learner examples
- The form asks if you have a spouse.
- His spouse can use his health insurance.
- The law gives money to the surviving spouse.
- Only a legal spouse can get this visa.
Verb
archaic
C2
action
3
To join in marriage (archaic)
To marry someone to another person. (Old use; not used in modern everyday English.)
Usage pattern:
to spouse [someone] to [someone]
Common mistake:
Learners might incorrectly try to use "spouse" as a normal modern verb meaning "to marry". In contemporary English, "spouse" is almost always a noun; use the verb "marry" instead.
Synonyms
marry (The normal modern verb; "spouse" as a verb is very rare and old-fashioned.)
Antonyms
divorce (Ends a marriage instead of creating one.)
Collocations
spoused to
|spoused with
Themes
relationships
|history
|law
Examples
- The king spoused his daughter to a foreign prince.
- She was spoused to a wealthy merchant while still young.
- Once spoused, the couple returned to their village.
Learner examples
- The old story says the girl was spoused to a prince.
- In this old book, the priest spoused the couple.
- This verb is archaic; people do not say "spouse" as a verb now.
Grammar
Dictionary form
spouse
IPA
GB/spˈaʊs/
US/spˈaʊs/
Syllables & stress
spouse (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (spouse)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: spouse
- Plural: spouses
Word family
Expressions
common-law spouse
1/kˈɑmən lˈɔ spˈaʊs/
fixed phrase
Partner treated as spouse by cohabitation
A partner who is not formally married to you, but in some places the law treats them like a spouse because you live together like a married couple.
Examples
- In some countries, a common-law spouse has rights similar to a married spouse.
- She asked whether her common-law spouse could be added to her health insurance.
estranged spouse
1/ɪstɹˈeɪnd͡ʒd spˈaʊs/
fixed phrase
Spouse who is separated
A husband or wife who is no longer living with their partner and is separated from them, often before divorce.
Examples
- He pays child support to his estranged spouse.
- Police contacted the victim’s estranged spouse for more information.
former spouse
1/fˈɔɹmɚ spˈaʊs/
fixed phrase
Ex-husband or ex-wife
A person who was your husband or wife in the past, but you are not married to them now.
Examples
- He shares custody of the children with his former spouse.
- Benefits may also be available to a former spouse in some cases.
spouse visa
1/spˈaʊs vˈizə/
fixed phrase
Visa for a citizen’s spouse
A visa that lets someone live in a country because they are married to a person from that country.
Examples
- He moved to the UK on a spouse visa.
- Processing times for a spouse visa can be very long.
surviving spouse
1/sɚvˈaɪvɪŋ spˈaʊs/
fixed phrase
Spouse who outlives the other
The husband or wife who is still alive after the other one has died.
Examples
- The pension will be paid to the surviving spouse after the worker’s death.
- Tickets are free for veterans and their surviving spouse.