wives
B1Neutral to Formal (the plural form is used across registers but is less frequent in casual conversation).
Definition
Meaning
The plural form of 'wife', meaning a married woman considered in relation to her spouse.
Can refer collectively to a group of married women, or, in historical/polygamous contexts, the multiple spouses of one man. Also used in metaphorical contexts for institutions linked together (e.g., sister institutions).
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The singular 'wife' implies a specific spousal relationship. The plural 'wives' can denote the spouses of different men or the collective spouses of one man (polygamy). It is a standard, irregular plural formed by changing '-fe' to '-ves'.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No major semantic differences. Minor spelling conventions in compounds (e.g., 'housewives' vs. 'housewives' - no difference).
Connotations
In both varieties, the word carries traditional connotations of marriage. Contexts like 'footballers' wives' carry similar social connotations.
Frequency
Slightly higher relative frequency in American English due to higher prevalence of discussion around plural marriage in specific religious or historical contexts in media.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[determiner] + wives[adjective] + wiveswives + of + [noun phrase]wives + and + [noun]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “old wives' tale (a foolish or unscientific belief)”
- “all the world and his wife (a very large crowd of people)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare, except in HR/benefits contexts discussing 'employees' spouses and wives'.
Academic
Used in sociological, historical, or anthropological studies (e.g., 'the social roles of merchants' wives in medieval Europe').
Everyday
Common in general discussion about families and relationships.
Technical
Not typically used in technical fields unless specifically discussing family law or demography.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- They are husbands and wives.
- Our wives are friends.
- The men brought their wives to the company dinner.
- Many kings in history had several wives.
- The footballer's wives were a constant feature in the tabloids.
- Anthropologists studied the cooperative networks among the farmers' wives.
- The polygamous community faced legal challenges regarding the status of plural wives.
- The novel explores the complex dynamics between the merchant and his two wives in 19th-century London.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'knife' -> 'knives'. Similarly, 'wife' -> 'wives'. The 'f' changes to 'v' before adding the 's'.
Conceptual Metaphor
WIVES AS POSSESSIONS (often negative, archaic): 'He has two wives.' WIVES AS PARTNERS (modern): 'The wives formed a investment group.'
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid confusing with 'woman' (женщина). 'Wife' is specifically 'жена' (spouse).
- The plural 'wives' is 'жены', which is the same as the singular form in Russian, so careful attention to verb agreement is needed in English.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect: 'wifes'. Correct: 'wives'.
- Incorrect subject-verb agreement: 'The wives is...'. Correct: 'The wives are...'.
Practice
Quiz
Which phrase correctly uses the plural form?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It follows an Old English rule where certain words ending in '-f' or '-fe' change the 'f' to a 'v' before adding the plural '-s' (e.g., knife/knives, life/lives, wolf/wolves).
No, 'wives' is exclusively the plural noun. The verb related to marriage is 'to wed' or 'to marry'.
'Wives' specifically means married women. 'Spouses' is gender-neutral and can refer to married men or women.
Yes, metaphorically. For example, in 'The college and its two sister institutions are like old wives,' though this is rare and poetic.