What does widow mean?
A widow is a woman whose husband has died, and the word commonly appears in legal, historical, and social contexts involving bereavement, inheritance, pensions, and family support. In older usage, widow was also a verb meaning to leave a woman without a husband, usually because he had died; that sense survives mainly in formal or literary language. The term can describe both a woman in that status and, in a more specific sense, a woman who has not remarried. Historically, the word was closely connected with legal and economic questions, since a widow's rights to property, maintenance, and guardianship were important in many societies. Widow comes through Old English widuwe from Proto-Germanic, and it is related to cognates in German, Dutch, Sanskrit, and Latin.
A woman whose husband has died.
"She was left a widow with two young children."
The word is formal and often used in legal, historical, or social-care contexts.
To leave a woman without a husband, typically because he has died; to make her a widow.
"The war widowed thousands of women."
This use is literary and comparatively uncommon in everyday speech.
The standard plural is widows. The form is used for women whose husbands have died and may appear in legal, historical, and social-service contexts.
"The organization offers practical support to widows in the area."
The word is older than most of its modern grammar: English inherited it from Old English, while Sanskrit and Latin preserve relatives of the same Indo-European root.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does widow come from?
English widow descends from Old English widuwe, an inherited Germanic word meaning a woman bereft of her husband. Its modern English form reflects developments through Middle English, while the sense “to make a widow” developed from the older noun. The word is cognate with German Witwe, Dutch weduwe, Sanskrit vidhava, and Latin vidua, all belonging to an Indo-European family associated with a woman whose husband has died or is absent.
Related word forms
How widow is actually used
The noun is formal and commonly appears in legal, historical, and social-service contexts. The verb is literary and less common in everyday speech.
Easily confused with widow
A widow is a woman whose husband has died, whereas a widower is a man whose wife has died.