The state or the period of being a widow — that is, of having lost your husband (or wife) and not having married again. It is not the event and not the person; it is the condition, and the stretch of time it lasts. You can say 'in her widowhood she moved back to her hometown', where it works almost like a date range, or 'widowhood is hard on old people', where it is more like a situation.

The state or the period of being a widow指的是身為寡婦的那種狀態或那段時期—— that is也就是 having lost your husband (or wife)失去了丈夫（或妻子） and not having married again而沒有再婚的情況。 It is not the event它指的不是那個事件， and not the person也不是那個人； it is the condition而是那種狀態， and the stretch of time it lasts以及它持續的那段時間。 You can say你可以說 'in her widowhood she moved back to her hometown'「在她守寡的那段時間，她搬回了老家」， where it works almost like a date range這時它有點像時間區間； or 'widowhood is hard on old people'也可以說「守寡對老年人來說很辛苦」， where it is more like a situation這時它比較像一種處境。

The word is formal and a little literary — you meet it in books, sociology articles, and church language much more than in conversation. In everyday speech people say 'after her husband died' instead.

The word is formal and a little literary這個字正式又帶點文學味—— you meet it你會看到它 in books, sociology articles, and church language在書裡、社會學文章和教會用語裡， much more than in conversation遠比在對話裡常見。 In everyday speech日常口語裡， people say人們會改說 'after her husband died' instead「她先生過世後」。

Strictly, dictionaries let it cover men too, and there is a separate word 'widowerhood' for men only, but that word is rare and slightly awkward, so 'widowhood' does most of the work for both. Even so, most readers picture a woman when they hear it.

Strictly, dictionaries let it cover men too嚴格來說，字典也允許它涵蓋男性， and there is a separate word另外還有一個字 'widowerhood' for men only「widowerhood」是專門給男性用的， but that word is rare and slightly awkward不過那個字很少見又有點彆扭， so 'widowhood' does most of the work for both所以「widowhood」其實兩邊都在用。 Even so即使如此， when they hear it聽到這個字時， most readers picture a woman大多數人腦中浮現的還是女性。