English Explanatory Dictionary

wifely

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Of, befitting, pertaining to, or characteristic of a wife or wives.

Pronunciation

/ˈwaɪf.li/

Word forms

wifely wifelier wifeliest wively

Etymology

From Middle English wifly, wyfly, from Old English wīflīc (“womanly, wifely”), from Proto-Germanic *wībalīkaz (“wifely”). Cognate with Scots wifely (“womanly, wifely”), Dutch wijflijk, wijfelijk, German weiblich (“feminine, female”). By surface analysis, wife + -ly.

Synonyms

wifey wifish uxorial

Derived words

unwifeliness unwifely wifeliness wifely duties non-wifely
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