配偶者|はいぐうしゃhaiguusha

1. nounspouse; wife; husband; partner
   彼女かのじょは彼かれが貧まずしいときも彼かれを支ささえるすばらしい配偶者はいぐうしゃだった。↗

   She was an excellent spouse who stood by him through poverty.

• Synonym伴侶はんりょWrittenWritten, literary word for a life companion, as in 「人生の伴侶」, carrying a warm, tender nuance; 「配偶者」 is the plain legal term.
• RelatedパートナーNeutralNeutral loanword covering partners and companions of many kinds — dance, work, romantic — and not limited to marriage, unlike the strictly marital 「配偶者」.
• RelatedベターハーフCasualColloquial loanword for one's spouse, said with humor and affection, like 'my better half'; 「配偶者」 is the formal legal term, so they rarely interchange.

In legal documents use 「配偶者」, as in 「配偶者控除」. Say 「伴侶」 for a literary, warm tone, 「ベターハーフ」 for affectionate humor, and 「パートナー」 for partners or companions, married or not.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. 婚姻関係こんいんかんけいにある相手あいて。