spousal equivalent
- noun
- /ˈspaʊzəl ɪˈkwɪvələnt/
:
pareja de hecho
- After ten years together, she referred to Mark as her spousal equivalent on official forms.
Examples
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He introduced his spousal equivalent at the company dinner, making it clear they shared a committed relationship.
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My best friend is my spousal equivalent.
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Some companies offer health benefits to employees' spousal equivalents as well as to legal spouses.
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They consider each other spousal equivalents.
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After many years together, she introduced her spousal equivalent to her family as her partner.
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He considers his spousal equivalent to be just as important as a legally married spouse.
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Living with your spousal equivalent can provide the same emotional support as marriage.
Synonyms
878
1.1
A husband, wife, or long-term companion in a romantic relationship
33
3.3
A person you have a long romantic relationship with and often live with
4
3.9
A person you live with in a long-term romantic relationship but are not married to
A person who lives with someone as a couple without being married
A person who lives with a romantic partner without being married
How Marriage-Like
272
1.0
- Specialized
2
4.3
878
1.1
- NSFW
Surface Forms
Morphology
Both constituents contribute directly to the meaning: 'spousal' relates to a spouse or marital relationship and 'equivalent' means a counterpart, so the phrase literally denotes a person equivalent to a spouse. This adjectival + noun composition is transparent and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer the intended meaning.
Etymology
Spousal equivalent may come from official forms and company rules that needed a name for a partner who fills the role of a spouse but is not 'married'. It joins spousal, meaning like a spouse, and equivalent, meaning equal to, so it now means 'a long-term partner who has the same role as a spouse without legal marriage'.