widower

noun

wid·​ow·​er ˈwi-də-wər How to pronounce widower (audio)
: a man who has lost his spouse or partner by death and usually has not remarried

Examples of widower in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Comey’s widower, Theodore Pitts, filed a wrongful death lawsuit in January 2022 against the city and Davey Resource Group, a company with which the city contracted for tree management. Michael McGough, Sacramento Bee, 1 Mar. 2025 The widower sued Cedars-Sinai and doctors involved in her care, eventually reaching settlements in those lawsuits. Emily Alpert Reyes, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2025 Collins is a widower left to raise two kids as a single father; Bradford is a smooth-talking nepo baby play-acting at leadership, and their resentment-laden bromance provides the volatile core of the show. Alison Herman, Variety, 27 Jan. 2025 Olivia Newton John had a ranch there, which her widower recently listed for sale for $9 million. Mackenzie Schmidt, People.com, 21 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for widower

Word History

Etymology

Middle English widewer, alteration of wedow widow, widower, from Old English wuduwa widower; akin to Old English wuduwe widow

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of widower was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Widower.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/widower. Accessed 15 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

widower

noun
wid·​ow·​er ˈwid-ə-wər How to pronounce widower (audio)
: a man whose spouse has died

More from Merriam-Webster on widower

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