| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000. |
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| alimony |
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| SYLLABICATION: | al·i·mo·ny |
| PRONUNCIATION: |   l  -m  n |
| NOUN: | Inflected forms: pl. al·i·mo·nies
1. Law An allowance for support made under court order to a divorced person by the former spouse, usually the chief provider during the marriage. Alimony may also be granted without a divorce, as between legally separated persons. 2. A means of livelihood; maintenance. | | ETYMOLOGY: | Latin alimnia, sustenance, from alere, to nourish. See al-2 in Appendix I.
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| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
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