Wifery

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The practice or occupation of being a wife; the duties or qualities associated with marriage to a husband; the state or condition of married life
2. The role or function of a woman as a spouse; behaviors and responsibilities traditionally linked to marriage; the marital status or experience of being wed
3. The status and obligations of a married woman; the conduct and expectations within matrimony; the overall condition related to being a wife

Etymology: "Wifery" is a straightforward formation: the noun "wife" with the suffix "-ry" added to it. That suffix, which comes from Old French "-erie" and ultimately from Latin roots, forms nouns for a state, practice, or collection of things, as in "bakery," "slavery," or "rivalry." Attaching it to "wife" produces a term for the whole condition of being a wife, rather than for the woman herself. The word is less common than its close relatives "wifehood" and "wifeliness," and its sense is narrower than the simple idea of marriage. It names the role and its expected duties, the work and conduct associated with being a married woman in a household. Because "-ry" nouns often denote activities or collective states, the word tends to focus on the practical side of marriage rather than the emotional bond between spouses.

Synonyms: marriage, matrimony, wedlock, nuptials, spousehood