未亡人(みぼうじん)

みぼうじん
noun
widow
family
1. widow
A woman whose husband has died and who has not remarried.
戦争(せんそう)未亡人(みぼうじん)が多(おお)かった。
There were many war widows.
未亡人(みぼうじん)として子供(こども)を育(そだ)てた。
She raised the children as a widow.
彼女(かのじょ)は若(わか)くして未亡人(みぼうじん)になり、一人(ひとり)で家(いえ)を守(まも)ってきた。
She became a widow at a young age and has kept the household together on her own.

The literal characters mean "person who has not yet died" (未(み) = not yet, 亡(ぼう) = dead, 人(じん) = person), reflecting the old idea that a wife should follow her husband in death. Because of this etymology, some consider the word outdated or problematic. In modern usage, alternatives like 夫(おっと)を亡(な)くした女性(じょせい) (a woman who lost her husband) are sometimes preferred in formal or sensitive contexts.

Usage

Still widely understood and used in literature, news, and everyday conversation. However, be aware of its traditional connotations when writing formally.

Related words

  • やもめ: widow or widower — gender-neutral in modern usage
  • 寡婦(かふ): widow — legal/formal term
  • 遺族(いぞく): bereaved family — broader term

Related Words

Related: 遺族(いぞく) (bereaved family)
general
Added 2026.3.27 15:09 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01
19500/19945_miboujin