also: ばんりょ
noun
A somewhat formal or literary term for a life partner, spouse, or close companion. Often used in contexts like marriage, lifelong partnership, or poetic descriptions of a companion.
彼女は人生の伴侶として最適な人だ。
She is the ideal person as a life partner.
結
At the wedding, they vowed to become eternal companions.
Obsolete reading; not used in modern Japanese.
Composed of 伴 (accompany) and 侶 (companion), both meaning companion. The word has been used in classical Chinese and Japanese to refer to a close associate or spouse.