Alimony is money that a court of law orders someone to pay regularly to their former wife or husband after they have got divorced. Compare palimony.
A great deal of Jeff's money went in alimony to his three former wives.
Synonyms: maintenance, keep, support, allowance More Synonyms of alimony
alimony in British English
(ˈælɪmənɪ)
noun
law
(formerly) an allowance paid under a court order by one spouse to another when they are separated but not divorced
See also maintenance
Word origin
C17: from Latin alimōnia sustenance, from alere to nourish
alimony in American English
(ˈæləˌmoʊni)
noun
1. Obsolete
supply of the means of living; maintenance
2.
an allowance that a court orders paid to a person by that person's spouse or formerspouse after a legal separation or divorce or while legal action on this is pending
Word origin
L alimonia, food, support < alere, to nourish: see old
Examples of 'alimony' in a sentence
alimony
He gets there and the copper in the Met car pound recognizes him for non-payment of alimony and does him.
Robert Wilson INSTRUMENTS OF DARKNESS (2002)
Who cared now about Edwin, marriage, injustice, alimony, law: all that was another world.
Weldon, Fay SPLITTING (2002)
(noun)
Definition
an allowance paid under a court order by one spouse to another after separation
A great deal of his money went in alimony to his ex-wives.
Synonyms
maintenance
His parents paid his maintenance while he was at university.
keep
I need to give my parents money for my keep.
support
You are entitled to send child support.
allowance
livelihood
fishermen who depend on the seas for their livelihood.
subsistence
Up to £350,000 has been spent on travel and subsistence.
upkeep
The money will be used for the estate's upkeep.
sustenance
everything that is necessary for the sustenance of the offspring
living expenses
aliment
Additional synonyms
in the sense of keep
Definition
the cost of food and other everyday expense
I need to give my parents money for my keep.
Synonyms
board,
food,
maintenance,
upkeep,
means,
living,
support,
nurture,
livelihood,
subsistence,
kai (New Zealand, informal),
nourishment,
sustenance
in the sense of livelihood
Definition
one's job or other source of income
fishermen who depend on the seas for their livelihood.
Synonyms
occupation,
work,
employment,
means,
living,
job,
maintenance,
subsistence,
bread and butter (informal),
sustenance,
(means of) support,
(source of) income
in the sense of subsistence
Up to £350,000 has been spent on travel and subsistence.