spouse
spouse — noun
1. the person that someone is married to, used especially in legal or official lang
the person that someone is married to, used especially in legal or official language when the gender of the partner is unknown or not important
When Ryo applied for a visa, the form asked for his spouse's full name.
used on official immigration forms
A spouse may stay overnight in the patient's room at this hospital.
After Michael's death, his spouse Nadia received a letter about her pension.
Employees could bring their spouse to the company dinner according to the invitation.
Tamar and her spouse have shared a bank account since their wedding day.
- husband/wife
Gender-specific terms used in everyday speech; 'husband' for a man, 'wife' for a woman.
- partner
Broader term that may include unmarried relationships; less formal than 'spouse'.
- consort
Very formal term, used mainly for royalty or historical figures.
文法句型
a spouse
用法筆記
Commonly used in legal, medical, and official contexts where a gender-neutral term for a married partner is needed. In everyday conversation, 'husband' or 'wife' sounds more natural.
常見錯誤
spouse — verb
1. to marry someone, now used mainly in old-fashioned or historical writing
to marry someone, now used mainly in old-fashioned or historical writing
In a 14th-century village, Lord Reuben spoused Lady Élise before the local priest.
archaic verb used in historical narrative
Few old records describe how the duke spoused his bride in 1632.
A sailor from a distant island spoused a local woman, according to the old poem.
The queen's diary notes that her brother spoused a woman from a neighbouring kingdom.
- divorce
The legal ending of a marriage, opposite in meaning to marrying.
文法句型
spouse someone
用法筆記
This verb is archaic and almost never appears in modern speech or writing. The standard modern equivalent is 'marry'. Learners should recognize it for reading historical texts but avoid using it in contemporary English.