never-married
Perpetually without spouse
Never-married describes someone who has not been married at any point in their life.
The term appears most often in demographic surveys and census data, distinguishing people who have never wed from those who are divorced, widowed, or separated: The study compared never-married adults with those who had been married at least once.
Unlike "single," which can apply to anyone not currently married, never-married specifies no prior marriage.
Unwed male adult
- spinsterUnmarried older woman
- bacheloretteUnmarried woman
- unwedNot hitched
- singletonOnly member present
single · eligible · maiden · celibate · partnerless · childless · unattached · solo
Able to provide independently
- autonomousSelf-directed and free
- self-reliantAble to provide independently
- freeWithout payment or restriction
- liberatedReleased from confinement
empowered · self-directed · unbound · uncommitted · unfettered · self-supporting · self-determined · unconstrained
bachelor
Unwed male adult
- spinsterUnmarried older woman
- bacheloretteUnmarried woman
- unwedNot hitched
singleton · single · eligible · maiden · celibate · partnerless · childless · unattached · solo · lone
self-sufficient
Able to provide independently
- autonomousSelf-directed and free
- self-reliantAble to provide independently
- freeWithout payment or restriction
liberated · empowered · self-directed · unbound · uncommitted · unfettered · self-supporting · self-determined · unconstrained · self-contained
never, married, marry, marriage, marriageable, unmarried, remarry, remarried, remarriage