spouse

Definition of Spouse

(noun) An individual’s partner or partners in a marriage.

Spouse Pronunciation

Pronunciation Usage Guide

Syllabification: spouse

Audio Pronunciation

International Phonetic Alphabet

• American English – /spaʊs/
• British English – /spaʊs/

Usage Notes

• Plural: spouses
• A type of individual.
• Also called:
  • mate
  • partner

Additional Information

• Family and Kinship Resources – Books, Journals, and Helpful Links
• Word origin of “spouse” – Online Etymology Dictionary: etymonline.com

Related Terms

• cohabitation
• common-law marriage
• divorce
• family
• marriage
• marriage gradient
• open marriage

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Cite the Definition of Spouse

ASA – American Sociological Association (5th edition)

Bell, Kenton, ed. 2014. “spouse.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Retrieved September 17, 2024 (https://sociologydictionary.org/spouse/).

APA – American Psychological Association (6th edition)

spouse. (2014). In K. Bell (Ed.), Open education sociology dictionary. Retrieved from https://sociologydictionary.org/spouse/

Chicago/Turabian: Author-Date – Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition)

Bell, Kenton, ed. 2014. “spouse.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Accessed September 17, 2024. https://sociologydictionary.org/spouse/.

MLA – Modern Language Association (7th edition)

“spouse.” Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Ed. Kenton Bell. 2014. Web. 17 Sep. 2024. <https://sociologydictionary.org/spouse/>.