‘弃妻’ literally means ‘abandoned wife’—a compound noun formed by 弃 (to abandon, discard) and 妻 (wife). It carries strong emotional and moral weight, often implying betrayal, injustice, or social stigma. Historically, it appears in classical literature and legal texts referring to wives divorced or deserted without just cause, especially under unequal traditional marital norms. Today, it’s used more critically or sympathetically in discussions about gender equity, divorce rights, or domestic hardship.

The term is not neutral: it frames the wife as a victim of abandonment rather than a participant in mutual separation. It rarely appears in casual speech but surfaces in news reports, social commentary, legal aid contexts, or literary narratives highlighting vulnerability and resilience. While modern Mandarin prefers terms like ‘离异女性’ (divorced woman) for neutrality, ‘弃妻’ retains rhetorical power when emphasizing wrongful desertion or systemic neglect.