surviving spouse
Outlived their mate
A surviving spouse is the husband or wife who remains alive after their partner dies.
The term appears primarily in legal and financial contexts—insurance policies, estate law, pension benefits, tax filings: The surviving spouse inherits the house automatically.
It defines eligibility for benefits like Social Security payments or continued health coverage.
Bereaved wife, unmarried since
- widowerMan whose wife died
- griefIntense sorrow from loss
- mourningPeriod following loss
- lossBeing without something
bereaved · heartache · solitude · loneliness · remembrance · memorial · eulogy · obituary
Property and grounds
- probateWill validation proceedings
- inheritanceProperty received from ancestors
- beneficiaryDesignated asset receiver
- executorAppointed estate manager
heir · bequest · legacy · will · trust · death certificate · title transfer · claim
Retiree's ongoing benefit
- annuityPeriodic fixed payment
- life insuranceContract paying upon death
- Social SecurityFederal old-age insurance program
- survivor benefitsPayments to deceased's dependents
death benefit · insurance payout · retirement account · healthcare coverage · COBRA · financial planning · assets · settlement
widow
Bereaved wife, unmarried since
loss · bereaved · heartache · solitude · loneliness · remembrance · memorial · eulogy · obituary · funeral
estate
Property and grounds
- probateWill validation proceedings
- inheritanceProperty received from ancestors
- beneficiaryDesignated asset receiver
executor · heir · bequest · legacy · will · trust · death certificate · title transfer · claim · intestate
pension
Retiree's ongoing benefit
- annuityPeriodic fixed payment
- life insuranceContract paying upon death
- Social SecurityFederal old-age insurance program
survivor benefits · death benefit · insurance payout · retirement account · healthcare coverage · COBRA · financial planning · assets · settlement
- Tribal Inheritanceheirs, heirship, inheritance disputes, probate, descent
- mournersmourner, griever, mourners, grieving parent, grievers
- estate planningexecutor, trust, beneficiary, will, probate
- inheritanceinheritance, inheritances, heir, heirs, heiress
- estate taxesestate tax, inheritance tax, death tax, death duty, death duties
- filing statusessingle, head of household
surviving spouseex-spouse
Divorced husband or wife
former spouse · divorcee · single person · never-married · bachelor