A husband is a male in a marital relationship. The rights and obligations of the husband regarding his spouse, others, and his status in the community and in law, vary between cultures and have varied over time.In monogamous cultures, a man is expected not to have more than one wife at the same time, and a woman is expected not to have more than one husband. This is enforced by legal codes which outlaw bigamy. In polygamous cultures, a man may have more than one wife at the same time.Traditionally, the husband was regarded as the head of the household, who was expected to be the sole provider or breadwinner, a role which is still maintained in some cultures, which are sometimes described as paternalistic. The term continues to be applied to a man who has separated from his wife and ceases to be applied to such a man only when his marriage has come to an end following a legally recognised divorce or the death of his wife. On the death of his wife, a husband is referred to as a widower and after a divorce the man may be referred to as "ex-husband" in relation to the "ex-wife".