spinster
noun
spin·ster
ˈspin(t)-stər 
1
: a woman whose occupation is to spin
2
a
archaic
: an unmarried woman of gentle family
b
: an unmarried woman and especially one past the common age for marrying
3
: a woman who seems unlikely to marry
spinsterly
adjective
Examples of spinster in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
True, the last season did include a whole plot where Ada, an aging spinster, finally found an incredibly sentimental romance with a nice minister who then exits, via death, with the urgency of someone who’s been informed that their car alarm is going off outside.
—
Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 14 July 2025
Agnes' son Oscar lost the family fortune to an investment scam while her sister Ada inherited her own windfall from husband Luke (Robert Sean Leonard), whom the former spinster married just before his untimely death from cancer.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 23 June 2025
The fifth and sixth books in the original Julia Quinn series cover the love stories of sisters Eloise (Claudia Jessie), the spinster, and Francesca Bridgerton (Hannah Dodd), the quiet one, respectively.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 14 May 2025
Ruth Buzzi, who was so hilarious as the lonely spinster Gladys Ormphby, the lady who swung her handbag as a lethal weapon, on Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In, has died.
—Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 2 May 2025
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Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 14 July 2025
Agnes' son Oscar lost the family fortune to an investment scam while her sister Ada inherited her own windfall from husband Luke (Robert Sean Leonard), whom the former spinster married just before his untimely death from cancer.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 23 June 2025
The fifth and sixth books in the original Julia Quinn series cover the love stories of sisters Eloise (Claudia Jessie), the spinster, and Francesca Bridgerton (Hannah Dodd), the quiet one, respectively.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 14 May 2025
Ruth Buzzi, who was so hilarious as the lonely spinster Gladys Ormphby, the lady who swung her handbag as a lethal weapon, on Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In, has died.
—Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for spinster
Cite this Entry
“Spinster.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spinster. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
spinster
noun
spin·ster
ˈspin(t)-stər
1
: a woman whose occupation is to spin
2
: an unmarried woman past the usual age for marrying
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