dowry

noun

dow·​ry ˈdau̇(-ə)-rē 

plural dowries

1

law : the money, goods, or estate that a woman brings to her husband in marriage

cultures in which marriage rarely occurs without dowry or bride-price

2

: a natural talent or gift

Beauty should be the dowry of every man and woman, as invariably as sensation; but it is rare.

—Ralph Waldo Emerson

3

archaic, law : dower sense 1

Examples of dowry in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

She’s set to be married off for a substantial dowry in livestock. —Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 7 Dec. 2024

The daughter of a Portuguese king, Catherine came to England in 1662, bringing with her a dowry of trading posts in Bombay and Tangier—holdings that helped the British expand their nascent empire. —Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Nov. 2024

Mauritius may have gambled with its national dowry, but its consideration for a destitute citizenry wasn’t merely notional. —Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2024

Budi, 55, sometimes receives 10% of the dowry for driving and interpreting. —Stephanie Yang, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English dowarie, from Anglo-French, alteration of dower, douaire — more at dower

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Kids Definition

dowry

noun

dow·​ry ˈdau̇(ə)r-ē 

plural dowries

: the property that a woman brings to her husband in marriage in some cultures