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Wife vs. Wive: Know the Difference

Shumaila Saeed
By Shumaila Saeed || Updated on December 26, 2023
"Wife" is a noun referring to a married woman, while "wive" is a rarely used verb meaning to marry a woman or take a wife.
Wife vs. Wive

Key Differences

"Wife" is a noun denoting a married woman, commonly used in all contexts involving marriage. On the other hand, "wive" is a verb that is infrequently used, meaning to marry a woman.
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Shumaila Saeed
Dec 26, 2023
The term "wife" is widely recognized and used in daily conversation and legal contexts, signifying a female spouse. Conversely, "wive" is an archaic or literary term, seldom seen in modern language, referring to the act of taking a wife.
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Shumaila Saeed
Dec 26, 2023
While "wife" is a straightforward term with a clear meaning, "wive" often requires context for understanding, as its usage is rare and can be ambiguous to modern speakers.
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Shumaila Saeed
Dec 26, 2023
"Wife" has no verbal form and is exclusively used as a noun, whereas "wive" functions solely as a verb and does not serve as a noun in any context.
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Shumaila Saeed
Dec 26, 2023
In terms of linguistic evolution, "wife" has maintained a stable meaning over time. In contrast, "wive" has seen a significant decline in usage and remains mostly in historical or literary texts.
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Shumaila Saeed
Dec 26, 2023
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Comparison Chart

Part of Speech

Noun
Verb
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Meaning

A married woman
To marry a woman
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Dec 26, 2023

Usage Frequency

Commonly used
Rarely used
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Dec 26, 2023

Contexts of Use

Everyday, legal
Historical, literary
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Variants

Wives (plural)
Wived, wiving (verb forms)
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Wife and Wive Definitions

Wife

A woman who is married to someone.
My wife will join us for dinner.
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Dec 26, 2023

Wive

Archaic usage: To take a wife; to enter into marriage.
In his youth, he vowed to wive for love alone.
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Wife

A spouse of a married man.
His wife works in the same company.
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Wive

To marry a woman; to take a woman as one's wife.
He hoped to wive before the year ended.
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Wife

A woman in a legally recognized marriage.
They celebrated their tenth anniversary with his wife.
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Wive

To provide a husband with a wife.
The king sought to wive his loyal knight.
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Wife

A woman joined to another person in marriage; a female spouse.
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Oct 19, 2023

Wive

Literary usage: To perform the act of marriage.
The protagonist chose to wive in the final chapter.
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Wife

A married woman, especially in relation to her spouse.
The Fisherman and His Wife
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Oct 19, 2023

Wive

To marry (a woman).
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Wife

The female of a pair of mated animals.
A new wife for the gander is introduced into the pen.
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Oct 19, 2023

Wive

To provide a wife for.
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Wife

(Scotland) woman.
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Oct 19, 2023

Wive

To marry a woman.
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Wife

To marry (a woman)
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Wive

(ambitransitive) To marry (a woman).
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Wife

A woman; an adult female; - now used in literature only in certain compounds and phrases, as alewife, fishwife, goodwife, and the like.
On the green he saw sitting a wife.
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Oct 19, 2023

Wive

(transitive) To provide (someone) with a wife.
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Oct 19, 2023

Wife

The lawful consort of a man; a woman who is united to a man in wedlock; a woman who has a husband; a married woman; - correlative of husband.
Let every one you . . . so love his wife even as himself, and the wife see that she reverence her husband.
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Oct 19, 2023

Wive

To marry, as a man; to take a wife.
Wherefore we pray you hastily to wive.
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Oct 19, 2023

Wife

A married woman; a man's partner in marriage
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Wive

To match to a wife; to provide with a wife.
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Wife

The female partner in a marriage.
He introduced me to his wife at the party.
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Dec 26, 2023

Wive

To take for a wife; to marry.
I have wived his sister.
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Oct 19, 2023

Wive

Take (someone) as a wife
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Wive

Marry a woman, take a wife
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Oct 19, 2023

Wive

Provide with a wife; marry (someone) to a wife
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Wive

Historical context: To engage in the act of marrying.
The prince was pressured to wive and produce an heir.
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Repeatedly Asked Queries

What is the primary meaning of "wife"?

"Wife" refers to a married woman.
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Dec 26, 2023

Is "wive" a common term in modern English?

No, "wive" is archaic and rarely used today.
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Shumaila Saeed
Dec 26, 2023

Do "wife" and "wive" have the same origin?

Yes, they both originate from Old English.
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Dec 26, 2023

Can "wive" be used in everyday conversation?

It's very uncommon and might not be understood by all.
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How is "wive" used in a sentence?

"Wive" is used as a verb, e.g., "He plans to wive soon."
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Can "wife" be used as a verb?

No, "wife" is strictly a noun.
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Is "wive" found in contemporary literature?

Rarely, it's mostly in historical or literary texts.
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Dec 26, 2023

Does "wive" have different tenses?

Yes, such as "wived" and "wiving."
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Are there different forms of "wife"?

Yes, the plural form is "wives."
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Does "wive" have a noun form?

No, it's exclusively a verb.
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Dec 26, 2023

Has the use of "wife" evolved over time?

Its basic meaning has remained stable.
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Dec 26, 2023

Is "wife" used globally?

Yes, "wife" is widely understood and used internationally.
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Dec 26, 2023

Can "wive" imply a specific type of marriage?

No, it simply means to take a wife.
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Dec 26, 2023

Is "wive" considered archaic or formal?

Archaic, and not typically used in formal settings.
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Dec 26, 2023

Is "wife" a formal term?

It is a standard term used in both formal and informal contexts.
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Dec 26, 2023

Can "wive" be used in legal contexts?

No, it's not used in legal language.
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Shumaila Saeed
Dec 26, 2023

Can "wife" be used in different cultural contexts?

Yes, it's a universally recognized term for a married woman.
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Shumaila Saeed
Dec 26, 2023

Can "wive" be used in non-marriage contexts?

No, it specifically relates to marriage.
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Dec 26, 2023

Is "wife" gender-specific?

Yes, it specifically refers to a female spouse.
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Are there synonyms for "wife"?

Yes, like spouse or partner, but they have broader meanings.
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Dec 26, 2023

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About Author
Shumaila Saeed
Written by
Shumaila Saeed
Shumaila Saeed, an expert content creator with 6 years of experience, specializes in distilling complex topics into easily digestible comparisons, shining a light on the nuances that both inform and educate readers with clarity and accuracy.

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