nuptial

UK: /ˈnʌpʃ^əl/ US: /ˈnʌpʃəl, -tʃəl/ ,(nup′shəl, -chəl)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

nup•tial /ˈnʌpʃəl, -tʃəl/   adj. 

1. of or relating to marriage or the marriage ceremony:
   nuptial vows.

n. 

2. Usually, nuptials. [plural] a wedding or marriage:
   The nuptials were held in a beautiful old cathedral.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

nup•tial  (nup′shəl, -chəl), adj. 

1. of or pertaining to marriage or the marriage ceremony:
   the nuptial day; nuptial vows.
2. of, pertaining to, or characteristic of mating or the mating season of animals:
   nuptial behavior.

n. 

3. Usually, nuptials. a wedding or marriage.

• Latin nuptiālis, equivalent. to nupti(ae) marriage, wedding, derivative of nubēre to marry (of a woman); compare nubile
• 1480–90; (Middle French)

nup′tial•ly, adv. 
Synonyms

• 3. See marriage. 

Pronunciation

The pronunciations (nup′cho̅o̅ əl) and (nup′sho̅o̅ əl), by analogy with such words as mutual and actual, are not considered standard.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

nuptial / ˈnʌpʃəl -tʃəl/ adjective

1. relating to marriage; conjugal: nuptial vows
2. of or relating to mating: the nuptial flight of a queen bee

Etymology: 15th Century: from Latin nuptiālis, from nuptiae marriage, from nubere to marry

ˈnuptially adverb