The meaning of COUPLE is two persons married, engaged, or otherwise romantically paired. How to use couple in a sentence. Is couple an adjective?: Usage Guide

If you refer to a couple of people or things, you mean two or approximately two of them, although the exact number is not important or you are not sure of it.

COUPLE definition: 1. two or a few things that are similar or the same, or two or a few people who are in some way…. Learn more.

Mar 14, 2026 · A traditional and still broadly accepted usage of couple is as a noun followed by "of" to mean "two", as in "a couple of people". In this usage, "a couple of" is equivalent to "a pair of".

Usage Note: When used to refer to two people who function socially as a unit, as in a married couple, the word couple may take either a singular or a plural verb, depending on whether the members are …

In referring to two people, couple, like many collective nouns, may take either a singular or a plural verb. Most commonly, it is construed as a plural: The couple were traveling to Texas.

As a verb, couple means "to pair or match." As a noun, couple means "a pair." If two people are dating, you can refer to them as "a couple." Similarly, two people who are married can be called a "married …

• It's increasingly common for unmarried couples to live together. • A young couple were walking hand in hand along the beach.

In informal U.S. English, a couple can be used like a couple of before a plural noun.

As a verb, couple means "to pair or combine," as people on a dance floor might couple or form pairs when the music starts. You can also couple two ideas by combining them.