In order to know the meaning of the term spouse, it is necessary, first of all, to discover its etymological origin. In this case, we can state that it derives from Latin, exactly from “coniux – coniugis” which is the result of the sum of the following components:
-The prefix “con-“, which can be translated as “together”.
-The noun “iugum”, which is synonymous with “yoke”.
The dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) indicates that a spouse is one who is related to another person through marriage.
According to abbreviationfinder.org, the members of a married couple, therefore, are spouses of each other. For example: “My spouse is away at the moment, could he come back next Tuesday?” , “My spouse lost his job, so we are having some financial difficulties”, “The spouses seemed very happy during the party”.
For the law, the spouses are the natural persons who establish a marriage. This union confers rights and obligations that are reciprocal: the spouses must be faithful, to mention one of the obligations; otherwise the other party can file a lawsuit for adultery.
Spouse is a common gender noun (“the spouse”, “the spouse”). This makes it possible to equate the rights and obligations of the two members of the marriage and makes explicit the legal equality that exists between the two. On the other hand, when homosexual marriage is legalized in several countries, the legislation has the need to use common gender terms.
A separation of the spouses is one of the situations that can bring about more conflicts within the family. And it is not only a sentimental breakup, with the emotional damage that this entails for both parties, but also an end to a created home. Specifically, the aspects that most require the intervention of a judge are child custody, child support and even the division of assets.
To ensure that spouses are happy and enjoy their relationship to the full, it is important that they have complicity, that they maintain good communication, that they respect the privacy and space of the other and that they do not hesitate to have moments to enjoy activities in common. It is also essential that you never stop caring for your spouse and showing your love for them.
In the same way, it must be taken into account that any of the spouses who later wishes to remarry, in order to do so, must previously have the papers in order. I mean, she must have a divorce.
Beyond what is specified by dictionaries and legislation, the concept of spouse is also often used to name the members of a de facto couple. Even though these people have not married, when they live together in the same home they establish a type of society that is analogous to a conjugal bond: that is why they are named as spouses.