sposo

Lo sposo is the Italian term for the male partner in a marriage, primarily used to designate the groom on a wedding day or to refer to a man who is married. The corresponding female partner is la sposa, or simply la moglie in common usage. After the ceremony, the couple is often referred to as coniugi, or more informally as marito and moglie.

Etymology and forms: lo sposo derives from the Latin sponsus (male betrothed) and sponsa (female betrothed). The plural gli sposi refers to the married couple. The expression novelli sposi means newlyweds. Verbal forms include sposare (to marry), sposato (married), and sposarsi (to get married).

Usage and context: In contemporary Italian, lo sposo is most often used in wedding contexts or in announcements and reports about weddings. In everyday language, people may switch to marito to denote the husband after marriage, while sposo retains its wedding-specific nuance. In legal or formal writing, coniuge or coniugi are common neutral terms for a spouse. The gendered pairing remains sposo (masculine) and sposa (feminine).

Cultural notes: Italian wedding traditions and media frequently reference lo sposo and la sposa as the two principal figures of the ceremony, with the couple collectively described as gli sposi. The terms also appear in literature and popular discourse to discuss marriage, partnerships, and related social customs.