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, adjectiveWords nearby nuptial
nunnery,
nunny bag,
nuoc mam,
nupe,
nupercaine,
nuptial,
nuptial mass,
nuptial plumage,
nuptials,
nuque,
nur
Example sentences from the Web for nuptials
British Dictionary definitions for nuptials (1 of 2)
nuptials
/ (ˈnʌpʃəlz, -tʃəlz) /
pl n
(sometimes singular)
a marriage ceremony; wedding
British Dictionary definitions for nuptials (2 of 2)
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, adverbWord Origin for nuptial
C15: from Latin
nuptiālis, from
nuptiae marriage, from
nubere to marry