bridal

bridal — adjective

1. used for a bride, for a wedding ceremony, or for special things prepared for peo

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

used for a bride, for a wedding ceremony, or for special things prepared for people who have just got married.

Example

Aiko chose a simple bridal gown with long lace sleeves.

bridal + clothing noun

At sunset, the hotel opened the bridal suite for the couple.

bridal suite for newly married guests

Common collocations
  • bridal gown
  • bridal veil
  • bridal party
  • bridal suite
  • bridal shop
  • bridal bouquet
Synonyms
  • wedding

    more everyday and broader; it fits most general wedding contexts.

  • nuptial

    more formal and often used in religious, literary, or official language.

  • matrimonial

    very formal and often linked to law or marriage as a legal state, not dresses or flowers.

Grammar Patterns

bridal + clothing noun

bridal + event noun

bridal + room or service noun

Usage Note

Almost always used before a noun, especially for clothes, gifts, parties, shops, and hotel rooms linked to a wedding. For general talk about the event itself, everyday English often uses 'wedding' instead, as in 'wedding cake' or 'wedding day'.

Common Mistakes

She wore a bridal at the ceremony.
She wore a bridal gown at the ceremony.
'bridal' is usually an adjective and normally needs a noun after it.
We booked the bride suite for one night.
We booked the bridal suite for one night.
use 'bridal' for rooms or services prepared for the wedding couple.

bridal — noun

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

'Bridal' is mainly an adjective and usually stays close to the bride or to special wedding arrangements: a bridal gown, a bridal shop, or a bridal suite. 'Wedding' is broader and more everyday, so it works for almost any part of the event, such as a wedding cake or wedding guest. 'Nuptial' is formal and often appears in religious, literary, or official phrases like 'nuptial vows'. 'Matrimonial' is the most formal of all and often belongs to legal or institutional language, as in 'matrimonial property' or 'matrimonial dispute', not flowers or dresses. A useful memory trick is this: you book a bridal suite, bring a wedding gift, hear nuptial vows, and study matrimonial law.

bridal ↗wedding ↗nuptialmatrimonial

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishModern English

'Bridal' goes back to Old English 'brydealo', which meant a wedding feast. That older word joined 'bryd' meaning 'bride' with 'ealu' meaning 'ale' or beer, reflecting the drinking celebration that was once part of a marriage feast. In Middle English, the form became 'bridale' and later shortened to 'bridal'. English first used it as a noun for the wedding celebration itself; the adjective sense grew later and came to describe clothes, rooms, shops, and other things linked to a bride or wedding.