What does "couple" mean?
Two of the same kind connected or considered together.
Couple
/ˈkʌp.əl/ adj, det, noun, verb, slang
adj, det, noun, verb, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Two of the same kind connected or considered together.
- Grammar: couple is listed as adj, det, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: duo, pair, copulate, match.
- Useful contrasts: unlinked genes, more single, detach.
- Usage evidence: On May 18, a young Japanese couple was arrested after their one-year-old baby was found wrapped in a plastic bag and dumped in a gutter.
How to use "couple"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "couple" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "couple" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "couple" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "couple" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "couple" is acting as adj, det, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "duo" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "couple", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Two of the same kind connected or considered together.
"A couple of police officers appeared at the door."
- 2 a pair who associate with one another wordnet
- 3 Two partners in a romantic or sexual relationship.
"The number of Souls in the Kingdom being uſually reckon'd one Million and a half, Of theſe I calculate there may be about tvvo hundred thouſand Couple vvhoſe VVives are Breeders, from vvhich Number I Subſtract thirty Thouſand Couples, vvho are able to maintain their ovvn Children, […]"
- 4 a pair of people who live together wordnet
- 5 A small number. informal
"A couple of billiard balls, all mud and dirt, two battered hats, a champagne bottle […]"
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 (physics) something joined by two equal and opposite forces that act along parallel lines wordnet
- 7 One of the pairs of plates of two metals which compose a voltaic battery, called a voltaic couple or galvanic couple.
- 8 two items of the same kind wordnet
- 9 A turning effect created by forces that produce a non-zero external torque.
- 10 a small indefinite number wordnet
- 11 A couple-close.
- 12 That which joins or links two things together; a bond or tie; a coupler.
"I’ll keep my stables where / I lodge my wife; I’ll go in couples with her;"
Verb
- 1 To join (two things) together, or (one thing) to (another). transitive
"Now the conductor will couple the train cars."
- 2 bring two objects, ideas, or people together wordnet
- 3 To join in wedlock; to marry. dated, transitive
"I am just going to perform a very good office, it is to assist with the archbishop, in degrading a parson who couples all our beggars"
- 4 link together wordnet
- 5 To join in sexual intercourse; to copulate. intransitive
"On their wedding night they coupled nine times."
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 engage in sexual intercourse wordnet
- 7 To cause (two animals) to copulate, to bring (two animals) together for mating. transitive
"The Parilia was generally considered to be the best time for coupling the rams and the ewes."
- 8 form a pair or pairs wordnet
- 9 To enter (multiple horses with the same owner) into a race so that a single bet can be placed on any of them winning. transitive
Adjective
- 1 Two or (a) small number of. Canada, US, informal, not-comparable
"Put any couple guys in a tricked out car and a couple of bandannas […]" He trailed off."
Determiner
- 1 Two or a few, a small number of. Canada, US, colloquial
"A couple fewer people show up every week."
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"On May 18, a young Japanese couple was arrested after their one-year-old baby was found wrapped in a plastic bag and dumped in a gutter."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "couple"?
Common synonyms include: duo, pair, copulate, match, a few, a pair of.
How do you use "couple" in a sentence?
On May 18, a young Japanese couple was arrested after their one-year-old baby was found wrapped in a plastic bag and dumped in a gutter.
How do you pronounce "couple"?
Pronounced /ˈkʌp.əl/.
Etymology
From Middle English couple, from Old French couple, from Latin cōpula. Doublet of copula.