Wive

//waɪv// verb

verb ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Verb
  1. 1
    To marry (a woman). ambitransitive

    "If he have the condition of a saint and the complexion of a devil, I had rather he should shrive me than wive me."

  2. 2
    provide with a wife; marry (someone) to a wife wordnet
  3. 3
    To provide (someone) with a wife. transitive
  4. 4
    marry a woman, take a wife wordnet
  5. 5
    take (someone) as a wife wordnet

Example

More examples

"If he have the condition of a saint and the complexion of a devil, I had rather he should shrive me than wive me."

Etymology

From Middle English wiven, iwiven, from Old English wīfian, wīfiġan, ġewīfian (“to take a wife; marry”).

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.