Alimony
Etymology
From Latin “alimonia” (nourishment, sustenance), from “alere” (to nourish or feed) — the same root behind “aliment” and the “alma” of “alma mater,” the nourishing mother. Alimony is, at root, simply the money that keeps a former spouse fed.
noun · /AL-uh-moh-nee/
Payments one former spouse is ordered to make to support the other after a divorce.
What it names
Post-divorce support owed to a spouse — reach for it to keep it distinct from money owed for the children.
Example
After a twenty-year marriage, the court awarded alimony until she could retrain and return to full-time work.
Related idea
People conflate the two support payments: alimony supports the ex-spouse, while child support is a separate obligation owed to the children regardless of who pays alimony.