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wifedom

1 8.6

The role and status of being a married woman

noun
/ˈwaɪfˌdʌm/

Archaic

: esposidad

Despite the modern shifts in society, some still view wifedom as a key responsibility for women.

Examples

Anguished at the discovery of her husband's infidelity, Ruth attempts to compose herself in order to "return to her matrimonial duties, to wifedom, which rhymes with serfdom and motherhood."

Fiction book (1993)
In many cultures, wifedom is seen as a crucial aspect of a woman's identity and social standing.
In this day and age, it's frowned upon for a young, intelligent woman like myself to list "wifedom and motherhood" as her primary future goals, but there you are.

Blog text (10)
She embraced her role in wifedom as she supported her husband through his career.

Synonyms

wifehood

vswifedom

1 7.3

The life and role of a married woman

emphasizes the social role and influence held by that married woman

spousehood

vswifedom

6.8

Being married and having the duties of a husband or wife

focuses specifically on the married woman's role and its social influence

Surface Forms

wifedom singular

wifedoms plural

Morphology

wifedom = wife (semi-transparent) = wife + dom

Meaning is directly built from 'wife' + the suffix '-dom' (state or condition), but '-dom' is relatively archaic/rare and learners may not be familiar with it.

Etymology

Wifedom comes from wife + dom, where dom means 'state' or 'condition', as in freedom or kingdom. So Wifedom is the 'state of being a wife', meaning the role, status, or influence a wife has.