deceased wife; late wife
Formal, often used in written contexts such as obituaries, legal documents, or when speaking about one's own deceased wife. Compare 亡夫 (ぼうふ) for 'deceased husband'.
See also: 亡夫
亡妻の遺影の前で手を合わせた。
I put my hands together in prayer before the portrait of my late wife.
彼は亡妻との思い出を大切にしている。
He cherishes the memories of his deceased wife.
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.
Compound of 亡 (ぼう, 'deceased') and 妻 (さい, 'wife'). The reading さい for 妻 is the on'yomi, commonly used in formal compounds.