deceased husband; late husband
Formal term used in official documents, obituaries, or when speaking respectfully about one's own deceased husband. The cross-reference 亡妻 (deceased wife) follows the same pattern.
See also: 亡妻
亡夫の遺志を継いで、この事業を始めました。
I started this business following the wishes of my late husband.
Every year, she visits the grave to remember her late husband.
My deceased husband's name is recorded on the family register.
She continues running the company, carrying on her late husband's wishes.
She runs the shop, having taken over from her late husband.
亡夫 refers to one's own deceased husband, while 亡妻 refers to one's own deceased wife, forming the corresponding pair for the opposite gender.
未亡人 means 'widow' (the surviving wife), while 亡夫 means 'deceased husband' (the one who died), so the two refer to different people in the same situation.
前夫 means a 'former husband' through divorce, while 亡夫 specifically means a husband who has died, so the reason the marriage ended differs.
Compound of 亡 (もう, 'deceased') and 夫 (ふ, 'husband'). The reading ぼうふ is the on'yomi combination.