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View synonyms for

marriage

[ mar-ij ]

noun

  1. (broadly) any of the diverse forms of interpersonal union established in various parts of the world to form a familial bond that is recognized legally, religiously, or socially, granting the participating partners mutual conjugal rights and responsibilities and including, for example, opposite-sex marriage, same-sex marriage, plural marriage, and arranged marriage:

    Anthropologists say that some type of marriage has been found in every known human society since ancient times.

    1. Also called opposite-sex marriage. the form of this institution under which a man and a woman have established their decision to live as husband and wife by legal commitments, religious ceremonies, etc. traditional marriage ( def 2 ).
    2. this institution expanded to include two partners of the same gender, as in same-sex marriage gay marriage
  2. the state, condition, or relationship of being married; wedlock:

    They have a happy marriage.

    Synonyms:

    Antonyms: , ,

  3. the legal or religious ceremony that formalizes the decision of two people to live as a married couple, including the accompanying social festivities:

    to officiate at a marriage.

    Synonyms:

    Antonyms: ,

  4. a relationship in which two people have pledged themselves to each other in the manner of a husband and wife, without legal sanction:

    trial marriage.

  5. any close or intimate association or union:

    the marriage of words and music in a hit song.

    Synonyms: , , , , ,

    Antonyms: , , ,

  6. a formal agreement between two companies or enterprises to combine operations, resources, etc., for mutual benefit; merger.
  7. a blending or matching of different elements or components:

    The new lipstick is a beautiful marriage of fragrance and texture.

  8. Cards. a meld of the king and queen of a suit, as in pinochle. Compare royal marriage.
  9. a piece of antique furniture assembled from components of two or more authentic pieces.
  10. Obsolete. the formal declaration or contract by which act a man and a woman join in wedlock.


marriage

/ ˈæɪ /

noun

  1. the state or relationship of living together in a legal partnership
    1. the legal union or contract made by two people to live together
    2. ( as modifier )

      marriage certificate

      marriage licence

  2. the religious or legal ceremony formalizing this union; wedding
  3. a close or intimate union, relationship, etc

    a marriage of ideas

  4. (in certain card games, such as bezique, pinochle) the king and queen of the same suit
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Other Word Forms

  • ԴDz·۾ noun
  • Dz·۾ noun adjective
  • ·۾ noun
  • ·۾ adjective
  • ·۾ noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of marriage1

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English mariage, from Old French, equivalent to mari(er) “to wed” + -age noun suffix; marry 1none, -age none
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Word History and Origins

Origin of marriage1

C13: from Old French; see marry 1, -age
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Synonym Study

Marriage, wedding, nuptials are terms for the ceremony uniting couples in wedlock. Marriage is the simple and usual term, without implications as to circumstances and without emotional connotations: to announce the marriage of a daughter. Wedding has rather strong emotional, even sentimental, connotations, and suggests the accompanying festivities, whether elaborate or simple: a beautiful wedding; a reception after the wedding. Nuptials is a formal and lofty word applied to the ceremony and attendant social events; it does not have emotional connotations but strongly implies surroundings characteristic of wealth, rank, pomp, and grandeur: royal nuptials. It appears frequently on newspaper society pages chiefly as a result of the attempt to avoid continual repetition of marriage and wedding.
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

The place had become "totemic", he said, adding it was a place of marriage proposals, family visits and even location of ashes for deceased individuals.

From

Given the very public nature of their marriage, Brinkley found herself unable to cultivate support for fear that the tabloids would find out about Joel’s addiction.

From

Even though he said nothing about gay marriage, she demands his gratitude for voting "for gay marriage twice."

From

Anecdotally, couples report psychedelics are saving their marriage or relationships, allowing them to connect in deeper ways, communicate better and reduce anxieties about sex.

From

Dr Ndaba has been at pains to tell her followers, as she did on one vlog: "Finance is an important aspect of people's marriages."

From

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marrimarriageable