breathing language

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significant other

Brandon Douglas

—| B1-B2 (intermediate) |—

In North American English, this word typically means:

  • NOUN:

    • romantic partner (standard; gender-neutral)

EXAMPLES:

  1. “The wedding invitation states that no significant others are allowed. Can you believe that? I mean, first they don’t let you bring your children, but then they don’t let you bring the person you’re dating or your spouse? What kind of celebration of love is this gonna be!?”

  2. “Everyone in my family, except for me, currently has a significant other: my parents are divorced, but my father has a girlfriend and my mother a fiance; my older brother has a wife; my younger sister has a boyfriend–they’re common law; my younger brother has a partner... I am the only single Pringle in the family.”

Are you in a romantic relationship? What kind of significant other do you have? Tell me about it in the comments below.

ASSOCIATED WORDS:

Some synonyms of “significant other” based on context include:

  • NOUN:

    • partner (gender-neutral; nuance: implies that a person either belongs to the 2SLGBTQIA+ community or that they or you are an ally of it)

    • spouse (gender-neutral)

    • husband (male)

    • wife (female)

    • common-law partner / common-law spouse (gender-neutral; Canadian English)

    • boyfriend (male; age-neutral: this word is not considered childish; it is used for all ages)

    • girlfriend (female; age-neutral: this word is not considered childish; it is used for all ages)

    • lover (gender-neutral; nuance: implies that someone is having sex with this person)

    • mistress (female)

    • paramour (male)

  • PHRASE:

    • the person you’re seeing (gender-neutral; informal; nuance: might indicate immaturity, but not necessarily childishness)

  • EUPHEMISM:

    • better half (informal)

    • other half (informal)

    • soul mate (nuance: romantic / literary)

  • IDIOM:

    • ball and chain (informal; nuance: negative connotation, “humourous”)

    • ball buster (informal; nuance: negative connotation, “humourous”)

    • old lady (informal; old-fashioned; nuance: negative connotation)

    • broad (informal; old-fashioned; nuance: negative connotation, sexist)

Some opposites of “significant other” include:

  • NOUN:

    • ex (informal)

    • ex-boyfriend/wife, etc. (standard)