spousal

1 of 2

adjective

spou·​sal ˈspau̇-zəl How to pronounce spousal (audio)
-səl
: of, relating to, or involving a spouse
spousal affection
spousal assault
spousal support
spousally adverb

spousal

2 of 2

noun

: nuptials
usually used in plural

Examples of spousal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Not long after, a court filing obtained by PEOPLE revealed that Bick had requested spousal support and attorney’s fees be covered by Griffin in accordance with the pair’s prenuptial agreement. Gabrielle Rockson, Peoplemag, 30 May 2024 In a separate court response obtained by PEOPLE, Hunter demanded Williams pay him 23 months in back payments for spousal support from their divorce. Charna Flam, Peoplemag, 20 May 2024
Noun
According to the documents, Chelsea filed for joint custody and spousal support from Jeff. Erin Clements, Peoplemag, 23 May 2024 The actor and personal trainer agreed to give up his rights to spousal support and asked the court to terminate Spears’ right to spousal support too, per the filing obtained Thursday by The Times. Nardine Saad, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for spousal 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'spousal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English spousaille, from Anglo-French spousailles, espusailles espousal

First Known Use

Adjective

1904, in the meaning defined above

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of spousal was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near spousal

Cite this Entry

“Spousal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spousal. Accessed 10 Jun. 2024.

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