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View synonyms for

spousal

[spou-zuhl]

noun

  1. Often spousals. the ceremony of marriage; nuptials.



adjective

  1. nuptial; matrimonial.

spousal

/ ˈ貹ʊə /

noun

  1. (often plural)

    1. the marriage ceremony

    2. a wedding

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

  1. of or relating to marriage

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Other Word Forms

  • spousally adverb
  • interspousal adjective
  • interspousally adverb
  • ˈdzܲ adverb
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Word History and Origins

Origin of spousal1

1250–1300; Middle English spousaille, aphetic variant of espousaille espousal
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Answer: If she applies for Social Security now, she would be “deemed” to be applying for both her own benefit and her spousal benefit and given the larger of the two.

From

Can she just roll it over into her existing Roth IRA, as is generally permitted for spousal IRA inheritance?

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In 1998, he was sentenced to six months in prison after pleading no contest to felony spousal abuse against Anderson.

From

Dear Liz: I believe you provided bad information to the woman inquiring about Social Security spousal benefits for her husband.

From

If your credits were earned decades ago at low-paying jobs, then your spousal benefit might well be larger than your own retirement benefit.

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When To Use

does spousal mean?

Spousal means relating to or involving marriage. The word marital can often be used to mean the same thing.Spousal is an adjective form of spouse—the person who someone is married to (their partner in marriage).A spouse who’s a man is often called a husband, while a spouse who’s a woman is often called a wife. The word partner is a gender-neutral way to refer to one’s spouse. People most commonly use one of these terms when talking about or introducing their spouse, as opposed to using the word spouse. The word spouse is more commonly used in formal or official contexts, such as on forms that require family relations to be specified.Spousal is used in terms referring to such relationships or situations involving them, such as spousal benefits and spousal counseling.Sadly, one of the most common uses of spousal is in the term spousal abuse, which specifically refers to abuse of the person that one is married to. (The broader term domestic abuse typically refers to abuse of someone within one’s household.)Much less commonly, spousal can be used as a noun, especially in the plural form spousals, meaning a marriage ceremony. The word nuptials means the same thing but is much more common.Example: Does this insurance plan provide spousal coverage?

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