A formal or literary term for a spouse or a married couple. Rare in everyday conversation; more common in written or ceremonial contexts.
At the ceremony, the bride and groom were introduced as the married couple.
He lost his spouse of many years.
The kanji 伉 means 'to match' or 'pair', and 配 means 'partner' or 'distribute'. Together they form a literary term for a spouse or married couple. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word is now rare.