EX (RELATIONSHIP)

In social relationships, an 'ex' (plural 'exes') is someone with whom a person was once associated. As a prefix, ''ex-'' can refer to a variety of different relationships; for example, one might refer to a music group's ''ex-guitarist''. When used alone, ''ex'' is assumed to refer to a former sexual or romantic partner, especially a former spouse. This often has a derogatory tinge; some French media take advantage of this connotation by calling French ex-president Valéry Giscard d'Estaing simply the ''Ex''.