spouse /spaʊs, spaʊz/ BrE AmE noun [countable] formal
[ Date: 1100-1200 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: espous(e) , from Latin sponsus 'promised (in marriage)' , from spondere ; ⇨ ↑ sponsor 1 ]
a husband or wife:
Spouses were invited to the company picnic.
—spousal /ˈspaʊz ə l/ adjective :
spousal abuse
• • •
THESAURUS
■ husband/wife etc
▪ husband/wife the man/woman you are married to:
My wife’s a teacher.
▪ partner the person you live with and have a sexual relationship with. Partner is often used when people are not married, or when you do not know if they are married. It is also used when talking about same-sex couples:
He lives with his partner Ruth and their eight-month-old son.
▪ fiancé/fiancée the man/woman you are engaged to:
He and fiancée Wendy Hodgson will marry in July.
▪ divorcee a woman who is divorced:
The Prince announced his intention to marry Mrs Wallis Simpson, an American divorcee.
▪ widow/widower a woman or man whose husband or wife has died:
Imelda Marcos, the widow of the former President
▪ spouse formal your spouse is your husband or wife:
The rule applies to spouses and children of military personnel.
▪ estranged wife/husband formal someone’s estranged husband or wife is one who they do not live with anymore:
She is trying to get her sons back from her estranged husband.