What does "levirate marriage" mean?

A marriage in which a widow marries her late husband's brother in order to maintain the family community.

What is a synonym for "levirate marriage"?

Common synonyms include: levirate.

noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Noun

1
A marriage in which a widow marries her late husband's brother in order to maintain the family community. countable, uncountable
"Levirate marriage protects a levir's sexual property and a dead man's entitlement. The former, however, serves the latter."

"Levirate marriage protects a levir's sexual property and a dead man's entitlement. The former, however, serves the latter."

From levirate + marriage, from Late Latin lēvir (“husband's brother”).