nubile

1 of 2

adjective

nu·​bile ˈnü-ˌbī(-ə)l How to pronounce nubile (audio)
ˈnyü-, 
-bəl How to pronounce nubile (audio)
Synonyms of nubilenext
1
: of marriageable condition or age
nubile young women
2
: sexually attractive
—used of a young woman
a nubile starlet
nubility
nü-ˈbi-lə-tē How to pronounce nubile (audio)
nyü-
noun

nubility

2 of 2

noun

nu·​bil·​i·​ty n(y)üˈbilətē How to pronounce nubility (audio)
plural -es
: the quality or state of being nubile

Examples of nubile in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Adjective
Over 13 sequels, the character’s trail of nubile corpses stretches from Manhattan to Mars to Quibi. — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026 But this woozy debut feature doesn’t rely on its audience being turned on by the relationship between a nubile caretaker and her dementia-addled patient. — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 9 July 2026 Our president also shares our love of young, nubile girls. — Callum Sutherland, Time, 23 Dec. 2025 Our President also shares our love of young, nubile girls. — Kase Wickman, Vanity Fair, 23 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for nubile

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

borrowed from French & Latin; French nubile, borrowed from Latin nūbilis "of an age suitable for marriage," from nūb-, stem of nūbere "(of a woman) to get married (to), contract a marriage" + -ilis -ile entry 1; nūbere perhaps going back to Indo-European *sneu̯bh-, whence also, from a causative derivative *snou̯bh-ei̯e-, Russian Church Slavic snoublʼju, snoubiti "to propose as a spouse, arrange a sexual partner (for)," Slovene snúbiti "to propose (a woman) as a spouse," Czech snoubit se "to get married"

Note: The linking of nūbere with this group of Slavic verbs has been objected to, on the grounds that their orientation is toward the suitor rather than the bride, and that the etymon is attested in only two Indo-European subfamilies. Ernout and Meillet (Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue latine) favor a connection with Latin obnūbere "to veil, cover (usually the head)," proposing that the original meaning of nūbere was approximately "to take the veil." This would further connect nūbere to nūbēs "cloud" (see nuance), though a difficulty here is that the best comparable item outside Latin is Welsh nudd "mist, haze," which would suggest a proto-form *(s)neu̯dh/ *(s)nou̯dh-, with aspirate d. If this were the case, the past participle of nūbere would be *nussus rather than the attested nuptus (whence nupta "married woman," from which nuptiae "marriage"; nuptial entry 1). The forms nuptus, etc., would have to be relatively late creations based on the present stem (though nuptiae is already known from the early Latin poet Ennius). See M. de Vaan, Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the Other Italic Languages (Brill, 2011). Compare also connubial.

Noun

French nubilité, from nubile + -ité -ity

First Known Use

Adjective

1642, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of nubile was in 1642

Rhymes for nubile

See All Rhymes for nubile

Browse Nearby Words

Nubian ibex
nubile
nubility
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Nubile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nubile. Accessed 12 Aug. 2026.

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Medical Definition

nubile

adjective
nu·​bile ˈn(y)ü-bəl How to pronounce nubile (audio) -ˌbīl How to pronounce nubile (audio)
: sexually mature
especially : of marriageable condition or age
—used of young women
nubility
n(y)ü-ˈbil-ət-ē How to pronounce nubile (audio)
noun
plural nubilities

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