bachelorhood
Life without spouse
Bachelorhood is the state of being an unmarried man.
The word carries connotations of freedom and independence, sometimes with a hint of immaturity or reluctance to commit: He clung to his bachelorhood well into his forties.
The term has become less common as marriage patterns shift and "single" becomes the neutral descriptor for unmarried people of any gender.
Not legally wed
- singleOne in number
- unwedNot hitched
- unattachedNot joined or connected
- partnerlessLacking a counterpart
spouseless · celibate · stag · man about town · playboy · spinster · old maid
Pursuing romantic connections
- flirtingPlayfully showing romantic interest
- courtshipSeeking another's romantic favor
- eligibleMeeting required conditions
- matchmakingArranging romantic connections
girlfriend · boyfriend · romance · playing the field · prospective · love life · casual dating · uncommitted
Free from anxiety
- spontaneityActing without forethought
- flexibilityAbility to adapt easily
- adventureRisky exciting undertaking
- unattachedNot joined or connected
unfettered · leisure · self-indulgence · exploration · travel · hedonism · recklessness · exuberance
Depending on oneself alone
- autonomyIndependent decision-making capacity
- self-sufficiencyIndependence from outside aid
- self-determinationControl over one's fate
- individualismDoctrine of personal independence
agency · choice · self-direction · empowerment · discretion · self-governance · liberty · solo
State of lacking companions
- isolationComplete separation from others
- seclusionVoluntary withdrawal from society
- lonesomenessState of feeling alone
- introspectionObserving one's own mind
quietude · privacy · living alone · hermitage · withdrawal · separateness · contemplation · reclusiveness
unmarried
Not legally wed
- singleOne in number
- unwedNot hitched
- unattachedNot joined or connected
partnerless · spouseless · celibate · stag · man about town · playboy · spinster · old maid
dating
Pursuing romantic connections
- flirtingPlayfully showing romantic interest
- courtshipSeeking another's romantic favor
- eligibleMeeting required conditions
matchmaking · girlfriend · boyfriend · romance · playing the field · prospective · love life · casual dating · uncommitted · mingling
carefree
Free from anxiety
- spontaneityActing without forethought
- flexibilityAbility to adapt easily
- adventureRisky exciting undertaking
unattached · unfettered · leisure · self-indulgence · exploration · travel · hedonism · recklessness · exuberance · variety
self-reliance
Depending on oneself alone
- autonomyIndependent decision-making capacity
- self-sufficiencyIndependence from outside aid
- self-determinationControl over one's fate
individualism · agency · choice · self-direction · empowerment · discretion · self-governance · liberty · solo · unaccountable
loneliness
State of lacking companions
- isolationComplete separation from others
- seclusionVoluntary withdrawal from society
- lonesomenessState of feeling alone
introspection · quietude · privacy · living alone · hermitage · withdrawal · separateness · contemplation · reclusiveness · alienation
bachelorhoodmarriage
Formal union between partners
matrimony · wedlock · married life · wifehood · husbandhood
bachelorhoodmarried life
family life · domestic partnership · cohabitation · coupledom · partnership
bachelorhoodmatrimony
Legal union of spouses
fatherhood · parenthood · commitment · domesticity · responsibility