Husband

A husband is the male in a marital relationship. The rights and obligations of a husband regarding his spouse, others, and his status in the community and in law, vary between cultures and have varied over time.

In monogamous cultures, there may be only two parties to a marriage. This is enforced by legal codes which outlaw bigamy. In polygamous cultures, there may be more than two parties to a marriage.

In heterosexual marriages, the husband was traditionally regarded as the head of the household and was expected to be the sole provider or breadwinner, a role which is still maintained in some cultures which are sometimes described as paternalistic.

The term continues to be applied to such a man who has separated from his spouse and ceases to be applied to him only when his marriage has come to an end following a legally recognized divorce or the death of his spouse. On the death of his spouse, a husband is referred to as a widower and after a divorce a man may be referred to as "ex-husband" of his former spouse.

In today's society a husband is not necessarily considered the breadwinner of the family, especially if his spouse has a more financially rewarding occupation or career. In such cases, it is not uncommon for a husband to be considered a stay-at-home father if the married couple have children.

The term husband refers to Middle English huseband, from Old English hūsbōnda, from Old Norse hūsbōndi (hūs, "house" + bōndi, būandi, present participle of būa, "to dwell", so, etymologically, "a householder").

At the conclusion of a valid wedding, the marrying parties acquire the status of married person and, while the marriage persists, a man is called a husband. In heterosexual marriages the woman is called a wife; in same-sex marriages between males, each male is called a husband; between females, each is called a wife. Regardless of gender, a married person is the spouse of the other party to the marriage.

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