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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
Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 9 Apr. 2025
The Lebanese haute couture maison, now in its 46th year, is a bridal and celebrity favorite, its signature ballgowns and floral appliqué capes finding favor with red carpet regulars from Jennifer Lopez and Beyonce to Alia Bhatt and Sonam Kapoor.
—Sonakshi Sharma, Vogue, 7 Apr. 2025
Catherine Santino, People.com, 21 Apr. 2025
Once the news of her pending nuptials to ex-professional snowboarder Shaun White hit, inquiring minds were quick to ponder what her bridal beauty prep and wedding makeup looks might entail.
—Jessica Ourisman, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bridal
Cite this Entry
“Bridal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bridal. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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