未亡人
also: びぼうじん
Meanings
1
Refers to a woman whose husband has died and who has not remarried. The term can carry a somewhat formal or literary tone; in casual contexts, 寡婦 (かふ) or simply 未亡人 is used, but it is not offensive.
She lost her husband in the war and became a widow.
As a widow, she raised her children alone.
Usage patterns
- 〈人〉は未亡人になるfor someone to become a widow
After losing her husband, she became a widow.
- 未亡人として〈動詞〉to do something in one's capacity as a widow
She raised her children alone as a widow.