spousal
SPOW-zuhl
/ˈspaʊzəl/
Of or relating to marriage or a spouse.
A formal, often legal adjective used to describe rights, agreements, or support systems arising from marriage.
The story behind the word. Traced back to the Latin 'spondere', meaning to make a solemn promise or vow. This gave rise to 'sponsus' (a promised husband) and 'sponsa' (a promised wife), which eventually entered English as 'spouse' and 'spousal', emphasizing the sacred vow at the heart of marriage.
Word relationships
- marital: Marital refers to the institution of marriage itself, while spousal focuses directly on the partner (the spouse) within that marriage.
- filial: Filial refers to the relationship of a child to a parent, whereas spousal refers to the relationship between marriage partners.
Commonly confused with
- espousal: Espousal is a noun meaning the act of adopting or supporting a cause, while spousal is an adjective relating to a marriage partner.
Word family
- spouse (noun): a husband or wife
Collocations
- spousal support
- spousal privilege
- spousal consent
Example sentences
- "The judge ruled that spousal support would be paid monthly for a period of five years." A legal discussion about divorce proceedings.
Memory hook
Spouse + al. Relating to your spouse (husband or wife). Spouse-related.
When not to use
Do not use to describe casual dating relationships or domestic partnerships that are not legally recognized as marriages.
Fun facts
- In legal systems, 'spousal privilege' is a powerful right that protects spouses from being forced to testify against each other in a court of law.
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.