Key difference: The key difference between a Wife and a Girlfriend is that the wife is legally married to a man, whereas a girlfriend could be a friend but not married to him.

There are a lot of differences between a wife and a girlfriend. This article specifies the difference between the two ladies.

A wife is the female partner in marriage. She may also be referred to as a spouse. The term continues to apply even after the wife is separated from the husband and it only ceases after a legalized divorce. The wife is called a widow after the death of her husband. A woman on her wedding day is usually described as a bride, after the wedding ceremony, she is described as a wife. Her male partner is known as the groom during the wedding and after the marriage is called her husband. She is also known as the better half of her husband. After marriage, the wife becomes a part of the family. She has the right to make decisions for the family, being a part of it. She has the rights to participate in all the occasions along with her husband. She is legally bound to her husband. She can take medical decisions for her husband. She is also eligible for social security, if the husband passes on. A wife is the care taker of her husband and her family. A wife will always be with her husband in her journey of life. Wife is a title and honor given to a married women and she enjoys all the rights with her husband and family.

A girlfriend is a female partner with whom one is romantically and maybe sexually involved with. It can also refer to a female friend. The male partner in this relationship is called a boyfriend and the female partner is called a girlfriend. A girlfriend is not legally bounded to her boyfriend by law or the society. She is an individual in the relationship. She does not have any responsibilities of her boyfriend on her, such as taking care of him or taking care of the children, etc. She is not duty-bound to attend his family matters, as she has no rights over them. A girlfriend can get separated from her boyfriend without any legal requirements. The term “girlfriend” and “girl friend” has several different meanings. For example, when the term girl friend is used by a man, it just means that the man and the woman are friends without any romantic or sexual connotations in their relationship. The relationship is platonic. It is used at times to avoid confusion, but it is not a rule. In this article, the term ‘girlfriend’ is used and described as a woman who is in a relationship with a man who she may not be engaged to. The term "girlfriend" does not necessarily imply a sexual relationship, but is often used to refer to a girl or woman who is dating a person she may or may not marry without indicating whether she is having sex with him.

Comparison between Wife and Girlfriend:

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