What does divorcee mean?
A divorcee is a person whose marriage has ended in divorce — that is, someone whose marital union has been legally dissolved. The word functions as a noun and applies to both men and women, though historically it has been used more frequently of women. It entered English from French, formed from 'divorce' plus the agentive ending '-ee', which marks a person affected by an action (compare 'employee' or 'addressee'). In everyday use, 'divorcee' appears in both journalistic and conversational contexts: newspapers may describe a 'celebrity divorcee', while individuals might refer to themselves as 'a recent divorcee' when discussing life after separation. The term itself is factually descriptive rather than judgmental, yet because divorce has often carried social stigma, some people prefer the more neutral phrasing 'a divorced person'. Related words include 'divorce' as noun and verb, and 'divorced' as adjective.
nounA person who is divorced, especially a woman; a person whose marriage has been legally dissolved.
- A person whose marriage has been legally dissolved; someone who is divorced.
"As a recent divorcee, she found it strange to cook for one again after so many years."
"The support group was open to any divorcee trying to rebuild life after separation."
"He remarried quietly, hoping to avoid the label of serial divorcee."
Standard English plural, formed by adding -s.
"The resort became popular among divorcees seeking a fresh start."
English borrowed 'divorcee' from French by simply adding an -e — turning the legal event of divorce into the person who lived through it.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of divorcee
'Divorcee' derives from the Latin root 'divortium', meaning separation or dissolution of marriage, which passed into Old French as 'divorce'. English borrowed the word 'divorce' in the late Middle Ages, and later adopted the French-style form 'divorcee', using the '-ee' suffix common in legal English to denote the person affected by an action. Cognates appear across Romance languages, including French 'divorcé(e)' and Spanish/Italian forms built on the same Latin base.
How divorcee is actually used
The term is grammatically gender-neutral in modern usage but has historically been applied more often to women. It is neutral-to-slightly-formal in register and can carry a faintly stigmatizing connotation in some contexts, so speakers sometimes prefer the phrase 'a divorced person'.
Easily confused with divorcee
'Divorce' is the legal act or state of dissolving a marriage (or the verb to do so), while 'divorcee' is the noun for a person who has gone through that process.