noun
alimony
AL-ih-muh-nee
noun
1
Financial support that one former spouse is legally required to pay the other after a divorce or separation.
"He was ordered to pay alimony to his ex-wife for five years."
"She waived her right to alimony as part of the settlement."
How to Use Alimony
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishCourt-ordered payments from one ex-spouse to another after a divorce.
UK vs US
In the UK this is usually called "spousal maintenance"; "alimony" is the more common term in American English.
Common pairings
pay alimony
alimony payments
spousal alimony
Word Forms
alimonies plural
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He was ordered to pay _____ to his ex-wife for five years.
Etymology
From Latin alimonia ("nourishment, sustenance"), from alere ("to nourish") — the same root as "aliment".