What does spouse mean?
A spouse is a person married to another person. The word is gender-neutral, meaning that it can refer equally to a husband or a wife, and it is often used where naming the spouse's gender is unnecessary or inappropriate. Although spouse is entirely suitable in ordinary conversation, it sounds especially formal in legal, financial, medical, and administrative settings: phrases such as legal spouse, dependent spouse, and spouse support are especially common. The related adjective spousal describes things connected with a married couple, especially the spousal relationship. Compared with the more familiar terms husband, wife, and partner, spouse is less intimate and more institutional. It nevertheless remains useful because it clearly identifies a legally or socially recognized marital relationship without relying on gender-marked language. The plural is spouses.
nounA person married to another person. The term is gender-neutral and is especially common in legal, official, and formal contexts.
- A person who is married to another person.
"Each spouse must provide identification before the application can be approved."
"Her spouse accompanied her to the hospital."
"The form asks whether the applicant has a dependent spouse."
The regular plural adds -s.
"The couple invited their families and spouses to the reception."
A spouse can mean husband or wife, but the word was designed to say both without choosing one.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does spouse come from?
Spouse entered Middle English through Old French from Latin sponsus, a past participle meaning “betrothed” or “husband.” Latin sponsus was related to spondere, “to pledge,” and ultimately to the ceremony by which a marriage was pledged. English later developed the word's broad modern sense of either member of a married couple.
Related word forms
How spouse is actually used
The word is neutral in tone but tends to be more formal and institutional than husband or wife. It is especially frequent in legal, financial, and administrative contexts, where a gender-neutral designation is useful. Its plural is spouses.