work wife

A work wife (or work husband) is a coworker you’re so close to that it feels like a marriage at the office: you share inside jokes, cover for each other and vent about everything. It’s about friendship, not romance.

What work wife means

Wikipedia describes a work spouse as a coworker with whom you share a special relationship and bonds similar to a marriage. One definition it cites calls it “a special friendship” with a close emotional bond, high levels of support, trust and loyalty. Your work wife knows your coffee order, saves you a seat in meetings and gets your side-eye across the room.

It’s usually affectionate and platonic. Some people find the marriage framing a bit odd, especially if either person has an actual spouse, so plenty just say “work bestie.”

Examples

• “My work wife is leaving and I don’t know how I’ll survive Mondays.”
• “He’s my work husband: he knows all my lunch orders.”
• “Every team needs a work wife who remembers everyone’s birthday.”

Where it came from

The office version of “wife” and “husband” has been around for a while. Wikipedia notes the term is mostly American, with variants like work husband, office wife and the jokey “wusband,” and cites a 2006 survey in which 32% of workers said they had an “office husband” or “office wife.”

Related terms

• Bestie: a best friend.
• Situationship: an undefined relationship.
• Girlboss: an ambitious woman at work.
• Coffee badging: a quick office appearance.

See more terms like this in our work and money slang guide.