matron of honour

IPA/ˌmeɪtrən əv ˈɒnə(r)/
IPA/ˌmeɪtrən əv ˈɑːnər/

matron of honour — noun

1. the married female attendant chosen by a bride as her chief helper on the weddin

1.nounB2
Definition

the married female attendant chosen by a bride as her chief helper on the wedding day, often assisting with preparations and standing beside the bride at the ceremony

Example

For her wedding in Edinburgh, Yuki chose her cousin Astrid as the matron of honour.

collocation: chose [someone] as matron of honour

As matron of honour, Dewi helped her sister plan the wedding reception.

collocation: as matron of honour, [subject] + verb

Common collocations
  • serve as [someone's] matron of honour
  • ask [someone] to be matron of honour
  • act as matron of honour
  • choose [someone] as matron of honour
Synonyms
Antonyms
  • maid of honour

    the unmarried equivalent who performs the same role

  • best man

    the groom's chief attendant on the opposite side of the wedding party

Usage Note

The male equivalent in the wedding party is the best man. Unlike the maid of honour, a matron of honour is married. British spelling is honour; American spelling is honor.

Common Mistakes

My best friend was my matron of honour, and she is single.
My best friend was my maid of honour, and she is single.
A matron of honour is married; an unmarried attendant is called a maid of honour.

Word family

  • matron
    nounB2
  • matronly
    adjectiveC1
  • maid of honour
    nounB2
  • bridesmaid
    nounB1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Both matron of honour and maid of honour are the bride's chief female attendant, but the matron is married while the maid is unmarried — a distinction that matters in traditional British weddings. Chief bridesmaid is a broader term that can refer to either a married or unmarried woman in the senior bridesmaid role. Best man is the groom's equivalent on the other side of the wedding party. If a married woman is asked to be the bride's main helper, she is a matron of honour; if unmarried, she is a maid of honour.

matron of honourmaid of honourchief bridesmaidbest man

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

Matron comes from Latin matrōna (married woman, from māter 'mother'), later adopted into English via Old French. The phrase matron of honour arose in the 19th century as a counterpart to maid of honour, specifying that the bride's chief female attendant was married. Honour (British spelling) comes from Old French honor, from Latin honor 'esteem, dignity'.