Widow Definition and Legal Meaning

On this page, you'll find the legal definition and meaning of Widow, written in plain English, along with examples of how it is used.

What is Widow?

(n) A widow is the women whose husband died during the existence of their marriage life and, she is not married again. For limited purpose of law, a women is called as widow when referring to her late husband for succession etc irrespective of whether she is re-married or not. Some cases consider a women as widow even though the dead person is her ex-husband if she is not remarried

History and Definition of Widow

Widow, in legal terms, refers to a woman whose husband has died and has not remarried since his death. Historically, being a widow was considered a very disadvantaged position for a woman to be in, as she was often left without any means of financial support or livelihood. This led to the development of various laws aimed at protecting widows and their children, such as provisions for widow's pensions and other forms of social welfare.

Examples of Widow

  1. Sarah's husband passed away last year, and she has not remarried since then. She is now considered a widow.
  2. The widow of the deceased soldier was entitled to a pension from the government.
  3. The charity organization provided support and assistance to widows and their families.

Legal Terms Similar to Widow

  1. Widower - The male equivalent of a widow; a man whose wife has died and has not remarried since then.
  2. Orphan - A child whose parents are both deceased.
  3. Surviving spouse - A legal term referring to the husband or wife of a deceased person who has not remarried since the death of their spouse.