What does "husband" mean?
A man in a marriage or marital relationship, especially in relation to his spouse.
Husband
/ˈhʌz.bənd/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A man in a marriage or marital relationship, especially in relation to his spouse.
- Grammar: husband is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: hubby, baron, benedict, boss.
- Useful contrasts: bachelor, bachelors, bride.
- Usage evidence: The man in the corner addressed himself to the husband.
How to use "husband"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "husband" 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 "husband" 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 "husband" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "husband" 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 "husband" is acting as name, noun, verb 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 "hubby" 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 "husband", 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 A man in a marriage or marital relationship, especially in relation to his spouse.
"You should start dating so you can find a suitable husband."
- 2 a married man; a woman's partner in marriage wordnet
- 3 A manager of property; one who has the care of another's belongings, owndom, or interests; a steward; an economist. UK
- 4 A prudent or frugal manager. archaic
"God knows how little time is left me, and may I be a good husband, to improve the short remnant thereof."
- 5 The master of a house; the head of a family; a householder. dated
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 A tiller of the ground; a husbandman.
"[…] a withered tree, through husbands toyle, Is often seene full freshly to have florisht […]"
- 7 The male of a pair of animals.
"Husband of the Herd"
- 8 A large cushion with arms meant to support a person in the sitting position.
"While reading her book, Sally leaned back against her husband, wishing it were the human kind."
- 9 A polled tree; a pollard. UK, dialectal
Verb
- 1 To manage or administer carefully and frugally; use to the best advantage; economise. transitive
"And for my meanes, I'll husband them so well, They shall go farre with little."
- 2 use cautiously and frugally wordnet
- 3 To conserve. transitive
"1719, Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe ...I found pens, ink, and paper, and I husbanded them to the utmost; and I shall show that while my ink lasted, I kept things very exact, but after that was gone I could not, for I could not make any ink by any means that I could devise."
- 4 To till; cultivate; farm; nurture. obsolete, transitive
"Land so trim and rarely husbanded."
- 5 To provide with a husband. archaic, transitive
"Thinke you, I am no ſtronger then my Sex Being ſo Father'd, and ſo Husbanded?"
Show 1 more definition
- 6 To engage or act as a husband to; assume the care of or responsibility for; accept as one's own. transitive
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname. countable, uncountable
- 2 An unincorporated community in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, United States, named after Harmon Husband. countable, uncountable
Example
"The man in the corner addressed himself to the husband."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "husband"?
Common synonyms include: hubby, baron, benedict, boss, bridegroom, bridegrooms.
How do you use "husband" in a sentence?
The man in the corner addressed himself to the husband.
How do you pronounce "husband"?
Pronounced /ˈhʌz.bənd/.
Etymology
From Middle English husbonde, from Old English hūsbonda (“head of household”), from Old Norse húsbóndi, from hús + bóndi, corresponding to Proto-Germanic *hūsą (“house”) and *būandz (“dwelling, residing”, present participle). Compare English house and bond³.