What does marriage mean?

Here's a list of possible definitions for the term marriage:

Princeton's WordNet




  2. marriage, married couple, man and wife(noun)

    two people who are married to each other

    "his second marriage was happier than the first"; "a married couple without love"

  3. marriage, wedding, marriage ceremony(noun)

    the act of marrying; the nuptial ceremony

    "their marriage was conducted in the chapel"

  4. marriage(noun)

    a close and intimate union

    "the marriage of music and dance"; "a marriage of ideas"


  1. marriage(Noun)

    The state of being married.

    You should enter marriage for love.

  2. marriage(Noun)


  3. marriage(Noun)

    A wedding; a ceremony in which people wed.


  4. marriage(Noun)

    A close union.

  5. marriage(Noun)

    A joining of two parts.

  6. marriage(Noun)


Webster Dictionary

  1. Marriage(verb)


  2. Marriage(verb)

    the marriage vow or contract

  3. Marriage(verb)

    a feast made on the occasion of a marriage

  4. Marriage(verb)

    any intimate or close union


  1. Marriage

    Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people called spouses that establishes rights and obligations between the spouses, between the spouses and their children, and between the spouses and their in-laws. The definition of marriage varies according to different cultures, but it is principally an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged. When defined broadly, marriage is considered a cultural universal. In many cultures, marriage is formalized via a wedding ceremony. In terms of legal recognition, most sovereign states and other jurisdictions limit marriage to opposite-sex couples or two persons of opposite gender in the gender binary, and a diminishing number of these permit polygyny, child marriages, and forced marriages. In modern times, a growing number of countries and other jurisdictions have lifted bans on and have established legal recognition for same-sex marriage, interracial marriage, and interfaith marriage. In some cultures, marriage is recommended or compulsory before pursuing any sexual activity. People marry for many reasons, including: legal, social, libidinal, emotional, financial, spiritual, and religious. Marriages can be performed in a secular civil ceremony or in a religious setting. The act of marriage usually creates normative or legal obligations between the individuals involved. Some cultures allow the dissolution of marriage through divorce or annulment. Polygamous marriages may also occur in spite of national laws.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary

  1. Marriage

    mar′ij, n. the ceremony by which a man and woman become husband and wife: the union of a man and woman as husband and wife.—adj. Marr′iageable, suitable, or at a proper age, for marriage.—ns. Marr′iageableness; Marr′iage-con′tract, an agreement to be married: an agreement respecting property by persons about to marry.—n.pl. Marr′iage-fā′vours, knots or decorations worn at a marriage.—n. Marr′iage-sett′lement, an arrangement of property, &c., before marriage, by which something is secured to the wife or her children, in case of her husband's death. [O. Fr. mariage. See Marry.]

The Roycroft Dictionary

  1. marriage

    1. A legal or religious ceremony by which two persons of the opposite sex solemnly agree to harass and spy on each other for ninety-nine years, or until death do them join. 2. A way-station, not the end of the journey. 3. The aspiration of two vowels to be a diphthong. 4. Love's demitasse.

U.S. National Library of Medicine

  1. Marriage

    The social institution involving legal and/or religious sanction whereby men and women are joined together for the purpose of founding a family unit.

Editors Contribution

  1. marriage

    A relationship based on mutual honesty, respect, trust, truthful communication, loyalty and unconditional love with the feeling, knowing and understanding you are united in a lifetime partnership to share, grow and evolve together with mutual aspirations, goals and a united purpose.

    Marriage is a relationship that many people choose to share, grow and evolve together with mutual aspirations, goals and a united purpose.

British National Corpus

  1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'marriage' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #1278

  2. Written Corpus Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'marriage' in Written Corpus Frequency: #2719

  3. Nouns Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'marriage' in Nouns Frequency: #548

How to pronounce marriage?

  1. Alex
    US English

How to say marriage in sign language?

  1. marriage


  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of marriage in Chaldean Numerology is: 1

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of marriage in Pythagorean Numerology is: 9

Examples of marriage in a Sentence

  1. Jeb Bush:

    I'm (for) traditional marriage.

  2. Molière:

    Books and marriage go ill together.

  3. Joe Moore:

    Marriage love, honor, and negotiate.

  4. Molière:

    Love is often the fruit of marriage.

  5. Troy Stevenson:

    We call it the' marriage chaos' bill.

Images & Illustrations of marriage

  1. marriagemarriagemarriagemarriagemarriage

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