husband
Americannoun
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a married man, especially when considered in relation to his partner in marriage.
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British. a manager.
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Archaic. a prudent or frugal manager.
verb (used with object)
noun
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a woman's partner in marriage
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archaic
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a manager of an estate
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a frugal person
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verb
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to manage or use (resources, finances, etc) thriftily
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archaic
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(tr) to find a husband for
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(of a woman) to marry (a man)
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obsolete (tr) to till (the soil)
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have husbandedperfect
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has husbandedperfect 3rd person singular
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has been husbandingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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is husbandingprogressive 3rd person singular
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husbandingparticiple
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have been husbandingperfect progressive
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are husbandingprogressive
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am husbandingprogressive 1st person singular
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husbandssingular 3rd person
Past
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had husbandedperfect
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husbandedsimple
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had been husbandingperfect progressive
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was husbandingprogressive singular
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husbandedparticiple
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were husbandingprogressive plural
Future
Etymology
Origin of husband
before 1000; Middle English husband ( e ), Old English hūsbonda master of the house < Old Norse hūsbōndi, equivalent to hūs house + bōndi ( bō-, variant of bū- dwell ( see boor) + -nd present participle suffix + -i inflectional ending)
Explanation
A husband is a married man. Your grandfather might joke that he and your grandmother have been husband and wife for so long because she has the patience of a saint and he is deaf as a post. The word husband comes from the Old Norse hūsbōndi, where hūs meant house and bōndi meant dweller. As a verb, husband means to conserve resources and use them frugally. Because of the flooding in the area, roads are cut off and everyone is being asked to husband their supplies. This conservation of resources sense of husband also occurs in the related noun husbandry.
Vocabulary lists containing husband
The Taming of the Shrew
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Units 2–3
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"The Taming of the Shrew" by William Shakespeare, Induction
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Lucy and her husband Sean tried to educate themselves as best as possible about breastfeeding before having their baby, attending an antenatal course and an NHS virtual session on breastfeeding.
From BBC • Jun. 15, 2026
“I’ve been telling people on interviews, ‘What if she goes out and gets her husband?’
From Salon • Jun. 14, 2026
Anna's on-screen husband says he "categorically denies every allegation" raised by her, or regarding his past.
From BBC • Jun. 13, 2026
Her husband, Hunter Woodhall, will race in the 400 meters on Saturday, when Para athletes will be among those competing in the L.A.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 13, 2026
“Being good with babies was a fine quality in the husband of an aspiring clam picker, apparently!”
From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
