Liberal Dictionary English Dictionary
adjective
- of or relating to marriage or the marriage ceremony: the nuptial day; nuptial vows.
- of, relating to, or characteristic of mating or the mating season of animals: nuptial behavior.
noun
- Usually nuptials. a wedding or marriage.
adjective
- relating to marriage; conjugalnuptial vows
- zoology of or relating to matingthe nuptial flight of a queen bee
late 15c., from Middle French nuptial, or directly from Latin nuptialis “pertaining to marriage,” from nuptiae “wedding,” from nupta, fem. past participle of nubere “to marry, wed, take as a husband,” related to Greek nymphe “bride,” from PIE *sneubh- “to marry, wed” (cf. Old Church Slavonic snubiti “to love, woo,” Czech snoubiti “to seek in marriage,” Slovak zasnubit “to betroth”). Related: Nuptially.