Unit 8 Vocabulary: Finding a Spouse

Most definitions and example sentences are taken from either the

Merrium-Webster Online Learners’s Dictionary or the NorthStar 3 Reading

and Writing Book (3rd Edition)

Spouse

• Noun: a husband or wife (someone who is married)

• Different cultures have solved the problem of finding a spouse in different ways.

Commitment

• Noun: a promise to do or give something; a promise to be loyal to someone or something

• Marriage is a commitment.

Everlasting

• Adjective: lasting forever

• I believe they share a true and everlasting love.

Enduring

• Synonym: continuing, long lasting

• Adjective: to continue to exist in the same state or condition

• The couple has an enduring love.

Faithfully

• Synonym: loyally

• Adverb: in a loyal way

• They love each other faithfully.

Characteristics

• Noun: features or qualities of a person or thing

• Their marriage has all the characteristics of a happy one: deep friendship, love and trust.

Background

• Noun: past experience, including family life and education

• People try to find to find someone to marry who has the right background.

Unique

• Adjective: being the only one of its kind; unlike anything else; special or remarkable– I want to date someone

who is unique.

Religion

• Noun: an organized systems of belief

• Religions often have different ideas and rules about marriage.

Courtship

• Noun: old-fashioned dating (the period of time when a couple gets to know each other before marriage)

• The couple had a two-year courtship.

Date

• Noun: 1. a social or romantic appointment– We are going on a date.

• 2. The person you have a date with– She is my date.

• Verb: to go out with someone romantically – I dated him in high school.– We are dating.

Romantic

• Adjective: relating to feelings of love

– The couple is having a romantic dinner.

Romance

• Noun: 1. an exciting relationship between lovers (sometimes short)

– They had a summer romance.

• 2. the feeling of being in love (non countable)

– We need more romance in our marriage.

Surprise

• Verb: to cause (someone) to feel a mild shock– The man is surprising a

woman with flowers.

• Noun: an unexpected thing or feeling of mild shock – The flowers were a

surprise.

Attraction

• Noun: 1. a feeling of (romantic) interest– Romantic love involves

attraction.

• 2. something interesting that people want to see– The Great Wall is a

popular attraction in China.

(be) attracted (to)

• Adjective: to like or be interested in something– They are attracted to

each other.

Engagement

• Noun: a formal agreement to be married– The couple recently

announced their engagement.

• the duration of time before the wedding– The couple had a 7

month engagement.

Wedding

• Noun: a marriage ceremony– During their

engagement, they planned a beautiful wedding.

Bride

• Noun: a woman on her wedding day

• Brides often look in bridal magazines for advice about planning a wedding.

Groom

• Noun: a man on his wedding day

• The groom looks very handsome.

Tradition

• Noun: long-established custom

• There are many wedding traditions.

Traditional

• Adjective: 1. long-established 2. based on old-fashioned ideas

• In traditional Chinese culture, marriage decisions were made by parents for their children.

Arranged Marriage

• Noun: a type of marriage in which a husband and wife are chosen for each other by their parents

• American's can’t believe that an arranged marriage could be happy, but I have seen my parents with my own eyes.

Polygamy

• Noun: the state of being married to more than one person at the same time

• The groups first leader, believed in polygamy.

• Some people still practice polygamy.

Pregnant

• Adjective: having a baby or babies developing inside the body

• The woman is pregnant.

Produce

• Verb: to make or create something– The husband and wife

hope that their marriage will produce healthy children.

• Noun: fresh fruits and vegetables

Fertile

• Adjective: 1. able to reproduce 2. able to support the growth of many plants

• In the traditional Hopi and old Bavarian cultures, it was important for women to be fertile.

• The area along the river is very fertile.

Infertile

• Adjective: not fertile; not able to reproduce

• A woman who is infertile cannot get pregnant.

• The fields are infertile.

Raise

• Verb: 1. to bring up a child – The mother and father

raised their children

• 2. to life or move to a higher position– Raise your hand if you

have a question.

Support• Synonyms: sustain, uphold,

encourage

• Verb: to give help or assistance; to hold up

• Parents support their kids.• The charity supports needy

kids.• The walls support the

building.

Proud

• Adjective: very happy and pleased (as a result of achievements, qualities, possessions etc.)

• They are proud of the children that their marriage has produced.

Break up

• Verb: to end a romantic relationship– I am breaking up with

you. – We broke up.

• Noun: (breakup) the end of a relationship– I just went through a bad

breakup

Divorce

• Noun: the ending of a marriage by a legal process– Their marriage ended in

divorce.– They filed for a divorce.

• Verb: legally end a marriage– My parents are divorced.

(used as an adjective)– They divorced 8 years ago.

Brokenhearted

• Adjective: filled with great sadness especially because someone you love has left you, has died, etc

• The women is brokenhearted.

Leadership

• Noun: the act or position of being a leader

• In traditional Chinese society, sons were important because they would take positions of leadership in the family.

Follower

• Noun: someone who is guided by another person