Common-law marriage
noun
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A state of marriage, or legal recognition similar to that of marriage, enjoyed by a couple who have not undergone an official marriage ceremony, but instead based on the duration of cohabitation or other practical characteristics of the relationship. countable, uncountable
- 2 a marriage relationship created by agreement and cohabitation rather than by ceremony wordnet