Definitions of
A single woman who is old enough to be married but isn't—and isn't likely to get married—is sometimes called a spinster.
synonyms for unmarried woman
On this page you'll find 10 synonyms, antonyms, and words related to unmarried woman, such as: bachelor girl, fuddy-duddy, goody-goody, lone woman, maiden, and prig.
Women who were once called spinsters eventually started being called old maids.
synonyms for spinster
On this page you'll find 6 synonyms, antonyms, and words related to spinster, such as: virgin, bachelor girl, lone woman, old maid, and single woman.
Miss is the form always used for girls—Ms. is only used for adult women (18 or older). Miss is a common title for unmarried women up to roughly the age of 30. Ms. is generally used for unmarried women past the age of 30. It's also a safe option for women of any age whom you are unsure how to address.
In the 17th century, a woman was considered an old maid if she remained unmarried and childless by the time she reached her mid-20s. However, today the word 'spinster' is more commonplace, and it is used to refer to women between the ages of 23 and 26.
the elderly
It is better to use a term such as older person, older people or older adult.
On this page you'll find 14 synonyms, antonyms, and words related to old person, such as: pensioner, retiree, senior, elderly person, geriatric, and golden ager.
A person between 60 and 69 is called a sexagenarian. A person between 70 and 79 is called a septuagenarian. A person between 80 and 89 is called an octogenarian.
From Middle English allone, from earlier all oon (“alone”, literally “all one”), contracted from the Old English phrase eall ān (“completely alone”), equivalent to al- (“all”) + one.
Answer: The opposite gender noun to spinster is a bachelor. Spinster denotes a woman who is not just single but also unlikely to marry in the future, especially given her age. The name “spinster” is outdated and derogatory. By itself, the term bachelor refers to an unmarried man without implying that he will remain so.
The term “spinster” referred to an unmarried woman older than what was perceived as the prime age range during which women should marry. In Regency or Georgian England, that age was between twenty-four and perhaps twenty-nine.
Miss is used to refer to women who are not married or are single. In the words of the Oxford dictionary, Miss is “a title prefixed to the name of an unmarried woman or girl, or to that of a married woman retaining her maiden name for professional purposes.” A spinster too could be addressed with the title Miss.
in a business setting where marital status isn't known or seen as pertinent, but it's most often used to describe women who aren't married since Mrs. refers to married women and Miss relies heavily on age. If you're not sure if a woman is married, or if she's divorced, it's safe to go with Ms.
Ms. is used when you are unsure of a woman's marital status. It can also be used for a single woman or a woman who was married but either divorced or separated.
First coined in the 14th century, the term “spinster” was originally used to describe a woman (typically unmarried) who spun thread for a living. It wasn't until centuries later that “spinster” took on its contemporary meaning: an older woman who seems unlikely to ever marry and does not have children.
Wordreference.com describes the "woman still unmarried" sense of spinster as "dated". Age is a crucial part of the definition, according to Robin Lakoff's explanation in Language and Woman's Place: "If someone is a spinster, by implication she is not eligible [to marry]; she has had her chance, and been passed by.
Historically a negative and derogatory term, modern use of the word spinster isn't just confined to fiction. It still exists all over the world in official documentation, and is just another symptom of how misogyny is super ingrained in our language.
usage note For spinster
The meaning “a woman beyond the usual marriageable age” is used with disparaging intent and perceived as insulting. It implies negative qualities such as being fussy or undesirable. See also old maid.
The term "bachelorette" may indicate a woman who is unmarried by choice, the counterpart to the term "bachelor".
@deespeak. “Selenophile (n.) - a person who loves the moon.”
Solitudinarian. Along with solitary, solitude, and solo, solitudinarian comes from the Latin word solus, meaning “alone.” Just because you're person who leads a secluded or solitary life doesn't mean that you can't enjoy having a lengthy obscure word to describe yourself with.
Some common synonyms of alone are desolate, forlorn, lonely, lonesome, lone, and solitary.
middle age, period of human adulthood that immediately precedes the onset of old age. Though the age period that defines middle age is somewhat arbitrary, differing greatly from person to person, it is generally defined as being between the ages of 40 and 60.