What does wiving mean?
Wiving is an uncommon present participle of the verb wive. In its principal sense, it refers to marrying a woman as one's wife or, more broadly, to entering marriage. A second, archaic sense means living or serving as a wife. The word is now encountered chiefly in literary or historical contexts and in specialized discussion of marriage's social and economic consequences, especially the expression "wiving penalty," which describes a career or earnings disadvantage associated with marriage. Although wiving may initially sound like weaving, the words are unrelated: wiving belongs to the English family of wife and wive, while weaving refers to interlacing threads to make fabric. Because ordinary speakers more often say marrying, wedding, or marrying again, wiving can carry a deliberately old-fashioned or analytical tone. It remains useful when the focus is specifically the act or status of taking a wife rather than marriage in the broadest sense.
verb (present participle)The present participle of wive: marrying (a woman) as one's wife or, archaically, living as a wife. The form is uncommon in ordinary speech but remains familiar through expressions such as "wiving penalty."
- Marrying a woman as one's wife; by extension, entering marriage.
- Archaically, living or serving as a wife.
"Her study of the wiving penalty examines how marriage can affect women's earnings and career prospects."
"In the play, the count is wiving a merchant's daughter to strengthen his political alliances."
"The chapter examines the wiving penalty and its effects on women's careers."
The modern sting in the "wiving penalty" is the financial cost that marriage can impose on a woman's career.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of wiving
Wiving derives from wive, a verb formed within Middle English from Old English wīf, originally meaning "woman" and later "wife." The modern verb is chiefly archaic, although related forms such as wife, housewife, and midwife preserve the same word family. English wife has close Germanic cognates, including Dutch wief and German Weib, both of which continue an ancestral Proto-Germanic word for "woman" or "wife."
Related word forms
How wiving is actually used
Wiving is uncommon in everyday modern English and tends to sound literary, historical, or institutional. Its best-known modern use is in "wiving penalty," an economics term for the earnings disadvantage that marriage may create for women.
Easily confused with wiving
Wiving means marrying or living as a wife, whereas weaving means making cloth by interlacing threads.