nuptial

[ nuhp-shuh l, -chuh l ]
/ ˈnʌp ʃəl, -tʃəl /

adjective

of or relating to marriage or the marriage ceremony: the nuptial day; nuptial vows.
of, relating to, or characteristic of mating or the mating season of animals: nuptial behavior.

noun

Usually nuptials. a wedding or marriage.

Origin of nuptial

1480–90; (Middle French) < Latin nuptiālis, equivalent to nupti(ae) marriage, wedding, derivative of nubēre to marry (of a woman); cf. nubile

synonym study for nuptial

3. See marriage.

pronunciation note for nuptial

The pronunciations [nuhp-choo-uh l] /ˈnʌp tʃu əl/ and [nuhp-shoo-uh l] /ˈnʌp ʃu əl/, by analogy with such words as mutual and actual, are not considered standard.

OTHER WORDS FROM nuptial

nup·tial·ly, adverb qua·si-nup·tial, adjective

Example sentences from the Web for nuptial

British Dictionary definitions for nuptial

nuptial
/ (ˈnʌpʃəl, -tʃəl) /

adjective

relating to marriage; conjugal nuptial vows
zoology of or relating to mating the nuptial flight of a queen bee

Derived forms of nuptial

nuptially, adverb

Word Origin for nuptial

C15: from Latin nuptiālis, from nuptiae marriage, from nubere to marry