confirmed bachelor
Committed to solitude
A confirmed bachelor is a man who has remained single into middle age and seems unlikely to marry.
The phrase can be purely descriptive—some men genuinely prefer the unmarried life—but it has long served as a euphemism for a gay man, especially in eras when homosexuality couldn't be discussed openly: The obituary described him as a confirmed bachelor who never married.
One in number
- unwedNot hitched
- eligibleMeeting required conditions
- unattachedNot joined or connected
- partnerlessLacking a counterpart
never-married · lifelong · spinster · celibate · uncommitted · solitary · alone · childless
Wealthy hedonist, carefree lifestyle
- lotharioHabitual seducer of women
- ladies' manMan who attracts women
- Don JuanLegendary womanizer archetype
- womanizerMan exploiting many lovers
charmer · heartbreaker · silver fox · swinging · rakish · debonair · man-about-town · gallant
Free from external control
- autonomousSelf-directed and free
- self-reliantAble to provide independently
- resourcefulSkilled at solving problems
- self-containedWhole without external parts
capable · self-supporting · solitary · private · set in ways · creature of habit · established · settled
Keeping part of oneself secret
- gayAttracted to same sex
- homosexualAttracted to same gender
- discreetCareful to avoid notice
- codedConverted to symbols
Victorian · old-fashioned · polite fiction · unspoken · lavender marriage · beard · passing · open secret
single
One in number
- unwedNot hitched
- eligibleMeeting required conditions
- unattachedNot joined or connected
partnerless · never-married · lifelong · spinster · celibate · uncommitted · solitary · alone · childless · permanent
playboy
Wealthy hedonist, carefree lifestyle
- lotharioHabitual seducer of women
- ladies' manMan who attracts women
- Don JuanLegendary womanizer archetype
womanizer · charmer · heartbreaker · silver fox · swinging · rakish · debonair · man-about-town · gallant · smooth operator
independent
Free from external control
- autonomousSelf-directed and free
- self-reliantAble to provide independently
- resourcefulSkilled at solving problems
self-contained · capable · self-supporting · solitary · private · set in ways · creature of habit · established · settled · comfortable
closeted
Keeping part of oneself secret
- gayAttracted to same sex
- homosexualAttracted to same gender
- discreetCareful to avoid notice
coded · Victorian · old-fashioned · polite fiction · unspoken · lavender marriage · beard · passing · open secret · implicit
- Euphemismspass away, passed away, passed on, expecting, with child
- bachelor lifeindependence, freedom, autonomy
- singlessingle, bachelorette, unmarried, unwed, singleton
- social ranksking, queen, emperor, empress, noble
confirmed bachelormarried man
Wed male
husband · groom · newlywed · bridegroom · family man
confirmed bachelorhopeless romantic
Person seeking idealized love
romantic · family man · serial monogamist · lovestruck · love-struck
confirmed bachelorfamily man
Husband devoted to household
paterfamilias · father · homemaker · head of household · breadwinner
confirm, confirmed, confirmation, bachelor, unconfirmed, bachelors, reconfirm, confirmatory, bachelorhood