What does widowing mean?
Widowing is the process of becoming a widow after the death of one's spouse, or the act of causing someone to become a widow. As a verb, it can emphasize either the experience of bereavement or the causative act of making someone a widow. In modern English, it is most often used in literature, biography, history, and legal discussion, while bereavement is generally more common in ordinary conversation. The related adjective widowed describes a person whose spouse has died, and widowhood names the condition of being widowed. Although widowing may sound formal or literary, it is especially notable for its ability to place both perspectives of bereavement within a single term: that of the surviving spouse and that of the person or event responsible for the loss. The word therefore carries both personal and legal implications.
verbTo become a widow through the death of one's spouse, or to cause someone to become a widow in this way. The word can describe either the bereaved person's experience or the act of making someone a widow.
- The process or experience of becoming a widow following the death of one's spouse.
- The act of causing someone to become a widow through the death of that person's spouse.
"The memoir recounts her widowing and the long process of rebuilding her life."
"The memoir recounts her widowing and the long process of rebuilding her life."
"The novel considers the consequences of widowing a spouse and the legal arrangements that follow."
Widowing captures two perspectives in one word: the experience of losing a spouse and the act of making someone a widow.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of widowing
English widow descends from Old English widuwe, which continues Proto-Germanic *widuwō, a form ultimately connected with the Indo-European root *widh-, associated with being bereaved or separated. Related forms include the noun widower and the abstract noun widowhood. The present participle widowing was formed in English by adding -ing to the verb widow, whose uses include both becoming a widow and causing someone else to become one.
Related word forms
How widowing is actually used
Widowing is most often encountered in literary, historical, or legal contexts. In everyday use, bereavement, losing a spouse, and being widowed may sound more natural, depending on the intended sense.
Easily confused with widowing
Widowing names the process of becoming or causing someone to become a widow, whereas widowed is the adjective describing the person whose spouse has died.