Spinsterhood: meaning, definitions and examples
👩🦰
spinsterhood
[ ˈspɪn.stər.hʊd ]
social status
Spinsterhood refers to the state of being an unmarried woman, particularly one who is beyond the usual age for marriage. Historically, the term has carried social and cultural implications, often associating single women with a lack of desirability or suitability for marriage. In modern contexts, spinsterhood can signify independence and personal choice, often reflecting changing attitudes towards marriage and women's roles in society. Despite its negative connotations in the past, spinsterhood today can also be seen as a position of empowerment where women embrace their single status and pursue their goals without the constraints of traditional marriage.
Synonyms
bachelorhood, singlehood, unmarried status
Examples of usage
- She embraced her spinsterhood after years of focusing on her career.
- The novel explores the complexities of spinsterhood in the early 20th century.
- During her spinsterhood, she traveled the world and found fulfillment.
- Spinsterhood was often viewed with suspicion in Victorian society.
Translations
Translations of the word "spinsterhood" in other languages:
🇵🇹 solteirice
🇮🇳 कुवारीपन
🇩🇪 Jungfernschaft
🇮🇩 status perawan
🇺🇦 незаміжжя
🇵🇱 panna
🇯🇵 独身
🇫🇷 célibat
🇪🇸 soltería
🇹🇷 bekârlık
🇰🇷 처녀
🇸🇦 عزوبية
🇨🇿 svobodná
🇸🇰 slobodná
🇨🇳 单身
🇸🇮 samska
🇮🇸 einhverfi
🇰🇿 босқа
🇬🇪 სრული
🇦🇿 subaylıq
🇲🇽 soltería
Etymology
The term 'spinster' originally referred to a woman who spun thread as her occupation, deriving from the Old French 'espinner' and the Latin 'spinnere'. In the 14th century, it began to be used more broadly to describe unmarried women, particularly those of a certain age. This reflected societal norms at the time, where marriage was seen as an expectation for women. As such, those who remained unmarried were often viewed unfavorably. The suffix '-hood' denotes a state or condition, thus 'spinsterhood' literally refers to the condition of being a spinster. Over the centuries, the perception of spinsterhood has evolved, and while it once carried a stigma, contemporary meanings acknowledge personal choice and independence. In modern discourse, spinsterhood is often reclaimed as a term that signifies freedom and autonomy, representing a lifestyle choice rather than a societal failure.
Word Frequency Rank
Ranking #38,144, this word is encountered relatively rarely in everyday English. It might appear in literary works or specialized texts but isn't essential for general communication.