wife

The word "wife" refers to a woman who is married. It is a common everyday word for a female partner in a marriage, whether the marriage is defined by law, religion, or social custom. The idea often suggests love, commitment, and a life shared over time. In older writing, the role of a wife was often linked to home and family, but in modern English the word does not suggest one fixed role. A wife may have any kind of job, lifestyle, or place in the relationship.

In informal English, you may also hear phrases like "work wife," which means a close female coworker you trust a lot. This is only a figurative use. The male equivalent is "husband."

"Wife" denotes a woman who is married, especially in relation to her spouse. The word usually points to a female partner in a marriage and may carry ideas of legal rights, shared duties, emotional closeness, and companionship. In everyday use, it can describe someone in a newly formed marriage or someone who has been married for many years.

Historically, the meaning was often tied to social expectations about homemaking and child-rearing. In modern English, however, the word itself does not limit a person to any one role. A wife may be a parent or not, may work inside or outside the home, and may take part in a relationship shaped by equal partnership, tradition, or many other personal choices. The term is about marital status, not personality or social position.

The word comes from Old English, where it once meant "woman" more generally, but over time its meaning narrowed to the married sense used today. In most present-day contexts, it refers to one partner in a marriage, though some cultures and legal systems have also used it in plural-marriage settings. Beyond the literal meaning, the word appears in figurative or set expressions such as "work wife" and "old wives' tale." Overall, it names a married woman while also carrying the broader human ideas of commitment, shared life, and close partnership.