marriage
Other forms: marriages
Marriage is when two people join together through a legal contract, a religious ceremony, or both.
In some cultures, marriage is arranged by families, and in others people choose their own husbands or wives if they decide to marry. There are some places where marriage is limited to unions between a man and a woman, while more and more states and countries recognize marriage between same-sex couples too. You can also use the noun marriage to talk about a more figurative link between two things: “The song was a strange marriage of Bavarian polka and punk rock.”
Definitions of marriage
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the state of being a married couple voluntarily joined for life (or until divorce)“a long and happy marriage”
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synonyms:
matrimony, spousal relationship, union, wedlock
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types:
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bigamy
having two spouses at the same time
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common-law marriage
a marriage relationship created by agreement and cohabitation rather than by ceremony
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endogamy, inmarriage, intermarriage
marriage within one's own tribe or group as required by custom or law
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exogamy, intermarriage
marriage to a person belonging to a tribe or group other than your own as required by custom or law
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marriage of convenience
a marriage for expediency rather than love
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misalliance
an unsuitable alliance (especially with regard to marriage)
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monandry
the state of having only one husband at a time
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monogamousness, monogamy
having only one spouse at a time
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open marriage
a marriage in which each partner is free to enter into extraneous sexual relationships without guilt or jealousy from the other
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cuckoldom
the state of a husband whose wife has committed adultery
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polygamy
having more than one spouse at a time
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sigeh
a Shiite tradition of temporary marriage permitted in Iran that allows a couple to specify the terms of their relationship; can last from a few minutes to 99 years
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mesalliance
a marriage with a person of inferior social status
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monogyny
having only one wife at a time
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serial monogamy
a succession of short monogamous relationships (as by someone who undergoes multiple divorces)
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polyandry
having more than one husband at a time
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polygyny
having more than one wife at a time
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type of:
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marital status
the condition of being married or unmarried
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a close and intimate union“the marriage of music and dance”“a marriage of ideas”
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type of:
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unification, union
the state of being joined or united or linked
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unification, union
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the act of marrying; the nuptial ceremony“their marriage was conducted in the chapel”
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synonyms:
marriage ceremony, wedding
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types:
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bridal, espousal
archaic terms for a wedding or wedding feast
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civil marriage
a marriage performed by a government official rather than by a clergyman
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love match
a marriage for love's sake; not an arranged marriage
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remarriage
the act of marrying again
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two people who are married to each other“his second marriage was happier than the first”
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synonyms:
man and wife, married couple
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types:
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mixed marriage
marriage of two people from different races or different religions or different cultures
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type of:
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family, family unit
primary social group; parents and children
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mixed marriage
Pronunciation
US
/ˈmɛrɪdʒ/
UK
/ˈmærɪdʒ/
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DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘marriage'.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
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