Wife vs. Wive — What's the Difference?

Another significant distinction between "Wife" and "Wive" is the frequency of their application. "Wife" is a prevalent term in everyday language, signifying a married woman, whereas "Wive" is rarer and might be found in older literary works or in poetic contexts.

In summary, while both "Wife" and "Wive" pertain to marriage and the role of a woman within it, "Wife" acts as a noun designating a married woman, and "Wive" functions as a verb implying the act of marrying a woman.

"Wife" and "Wive" are terms that are closely related in terms of their connection to marital relationships, but they belong to different grammatical categories and have distinct uses. "Wife" is a noun, and it specifically denotes a woman who is married. The term encapsulates the societal and relational role that a woman assumes upon entering a marital bond. For instance, when a man refers to his wife, he's mentioning the woman he's married to.

On the other hand, "Wive" operates as a verb. It carries the action of marrying a woman or taking a woman as a wife. Historically, the term was more commonly utilized, particularly in contexts where a man would "wive" a woman, essentially marrying her. The usage of "Wive" in modern English is somewhat archaic, and it's less commonly encountered than its noun counterpart, "Wife."