man and wife
Legally joined spouses
Man and wife is a traditional phrase designating a married couple, used especially in wedding ceremonies when the officiant pronounces the couple legally wed: I now pronounce you man and wife.
The asymmetry of the phrase—where the man remains simply "man" while the woman becomes defined by her marital role—has drawn criticism as reflecting outdated gender assumptions.
Many modern ceremonies substitute husband and wife or other phrasing for greater symmetry.
- weddingMarriage rite and feast
- matrimonyLegal union of spouses
- wedding vowMarriage ceremony promise
- coupleTwo linked together
- married coupleTwo joined in matrimony
marriage · spouse · better half · vows · till death do us part · tie the knot · pronounce · lawfully wedded · partner · wedlock · nuptials · wedding ceremony · walk down the aisle · betrothal · conjugal · mate · wedded bliss · polygamy
man and wifeunmarried couple
Romantic pair, legally single
domestic partners · lovers · exes · live-in partners · just friends
man and wifeengaged couple
Pair pledged to marry
betrothed · dating · courting · going steady · divorcees
man, woman, wife, husband, mankind, wives, husbands, mannered, mannerism