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A secondary meaning of Old English ealu, the ancestor of Modern English ale, was “feast, banquet,” at which the drinking of ale was a prominent activity. There were a number of these feasts and banquets that survived into the 19th century, but the oldest and best-established was the bride-ale, or wedding feast, attested in Old English as brydealu. In Middle English the ale half of the word had lost its stress and was associated with the noun suffix –al (as in funeral) and the adjective suffix (as in parental). By the 18^th^ century, bridal was perceived primarily as an adjective, as it is today.
Examples of bridal in a Sentence
Nicole Briese,
PEOPLE,
29 June 2026
In the accessible luxury bridal segment, Olivia Bottega differentiates itself through made-to-order production, customization, convertible designs, and a growing wholesale network that allows brides to experience the collection both online and in bridal salons.
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Tanya Akim,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2026
Marci Robin,
Allure,
3 July 2026
Designers have already sketched their answers for WWD, imagining everything from grand couture ballgowns to more unexpected takes on the singer’s bridal era.
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Maggie Clancy,
Footwear News,
3 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for bridal
Cite this Entry
“Bridal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bridal. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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