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significant other
What does significant other mean?
A gender-neutral, relationship-neutral term for a person's spouse or romantic partner.
"Feel free to bring your significant other to the party."
Origin
Coined in psychiatry in the 1940s; entered general use for partners by the 1970s.
Frequently asked questions
What does significant other mean?
It's a gender- and relationship-neutral term for a person's spouse or romantic partner.
Why use significant other instead of boyfriend or girlfriend?
Because it doesn't specify gender or marital status, it's a convenient, inclusive catch-all for any committed partner.
Where does the term come from?
It was coined in psychiatry in the 1940s and entered general use for romantic partners by the 1970s.
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