Definition of marriage Marriage

/mɛˈɹɪʤ/ - [merij] - mar•riage

We found 25 definitions of marriage from 7 different sources.

What does marriage mean?

WordNet

Noun Plural: marriages
marriage - the state of being a married couple voluntarily joined for life (or until divorce); "a long and happy marriage"; "God bless this union"
		matrimony, union, spousal relationship, wedlock
		marital status the condition of being married or unmarried
		jurisprudence, law the branch of philosophy concerned with the law and the principles that lead courts to make the decisions they do
		bigamy the offense of marrying someone while you have a living spouse from whom no valid divorce has occurred
		common-law marriage a marriage relationship created by agreement and cohabitation rather than by ceremony
		endogamy, inmarriage, intermarriage marriage within one's own tribe or group as required by custom or law
		exogamy, intermarriage marriage to a person belonging to a tribe or group other than your own as required by custom or law
		marriage of convenience a marriage for expediency rather than love
		misalliance an unsuitable alliance (especially with regard to marriage)
		monandry the state of having only one husband at a time
		monogamousness, monogamy having only one spouse at a time
		open marriage a marriage in which each partner is free to enter into extraneous sexual relationships without guilt or jealousy from the other
		cuckoldom the state of a husband whose wife has committed adultery
		polygamy having more than one spouse at a time
marriage - the act of marrying; the nuptial ceremony; "their marriage was conducted in the chapel"
		wedding, marriage ceremony
		rite, ritual an established ceremony prescribed by a religion; "the rite of baptism"
		bridal, espousal archaic terms for a wedding or wedding feast
		civil marriage a marriage performed by a government official rather than by a clergyman
		love match a marriage for love's sake; not an arranged marriage
marriage - two people who are married to each other; "his second marriage was happier than the first"; "a married couple without love"
		married couple, man and wife
		family unit, family primary social group; parents and children; "he wanted to have a good job before starting a family"
		mixed marriage marriage of two people from different races or different religions or different cultures; "the families of both partners in a mixed marriage often disapprove"
marriage - a close and intimate union; "the marriage of music and dance"; "a marriage of ideas"

= synonym
= antonym
= related word

Wiktionary

marriage (Noun)
The state of being married.
marriage (Noun)
A union of two or more people that creates a family tie and carries legal and/or social rights and responsibilities.
marriage (Noun)
The union of any two people, to the exclusion of all others.
marriage (Noun)
"I have a patient right now whose marriage proved to be a tragedy. She wanted love, sexual gratification, children, and social prestige; but life blasted all her hopes. Her husband didn't love her. He refused even to eat with her, and forced her to serve his meals in his room upstairs. She had no children, no social standing. She went insane; and, in her imagination, she divorced her husband and re-sumed her maiden name. She now believes she has mar-rried into the English aristocracy, and she insists on being called Lady Smith.
marriage (Noun)
My grandparents' marriage lasted for forty years.
marriage (Noun)
Pat and Leslie's marriage to each other lasted forty years.
marriage (Noun)
The union of one man and one woman, to the exclusion of all others.
marriage (Noun)
A wedding; a ceremony in which people wed.
marriage (Noun)
A joining of two parts.
marriage (Noun)
A king and a queen, when held as a hand in Texas hold 'em and some other card games.

Webster DictionaryWebster's Unabridged Dictionary 📘

marriage (v. t.)
The act of marrying, or the state of being married; legal union of a man and a woman for life, as husband and wife; wedlock; matrimony.
marriage (v. t.)
The marriage vow or contract.
marriage (v. t.)
A feast made on the occasion of a marriage.
marriage (v. t.)
Any intimate or close union.

OmegaWiki DictionaryOmegaWiki Dictionary Ω

marriage
A union of two persons (usually a man and a woman) which entails legal obligations and is intended to last for life.
marriage
A ceremony celebrating the beginning of a marriage, during which the marrying parties exchanges vows.
marriage
The state of being married.

Proverbs DictionaryProverbs Dictionary 📗

marriage
An ill marriage is a spring of ill fortune.
marriage
Marriage halves our griefs, and doubles our joys.

Wikipedia

Marriage is a union between a man and a woman. It is like a contract. Sometimes people also call this matrimony. The fact of being married is called wedlock. Very often, people celebrate that they are getting married. The ceremony is usually called wedding.

The most common form of marriage is that between a man and a woman. Some societies recognise polygamy. In polygamy, a man may be married to many women; in polyandry a woman may be married to many men. In Senegal, for example, nearly 47 percent of marriages are multiple.

Some countries and religious communities also permit the union of two partners of the same sex. This is generally known as same-sex marriage. In the Netherlands, the marriage law was changed to allow such unions, called "Marriage". Other countries that allow them sometimes have a different name for them.

Usually there is also a spiritual part of marriage. In addition to the civil act (wanted by the state) there is sometimes a religious one. If both partners are Christians, they may marry in a church, for example. There are certain restrictions on who can marry or be married; those closely related, like brothers and sisters usually cannot marry. This is usually to prevent problems for the children. Those marrying also have to be of a certain age to be able to marry. If that age is not specified it is usually the age of consent.

A wedding usually consists of the couple exchanging vows and a party afterward. The man getting married is called the groom, and the