What does "marriage" mean?
The state of being married.
Marriage
/ˈmæɹ.ɪd͡ʒ/ name, noun, slang
name, noun, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The state of being married.
- Grammar: marriage is listed as name, noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: matrimony, wedding, union, wedlock.
- Useful contrasts: annulment, celibacy, cohabitation.
- Usage evidence: These days, the motives for marriage are not necessarily pure.
How to use "marriage"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "marriage" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "marriage" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "marriage" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "marriage" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "marriage" is acting as name, noun, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "matrimony" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "marriage", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The state of being married. countable, uncountable
"You should enter marriage for love."
- 2 the act of marrying; the nuptial ceremony wordnet
- 3 A union of two or more people that creates a family tie and carries legal, social, or religious rights and responsibilities. countable, uncountable
"By his marriage to his two wives, Tapuwae quietly strengthened all of the pas of the Wairoa district, as many of them came under his control through these unions."
- 4 two people who are married to each other wordnet
- 5 A union of two or more people that creates a family tie and carries legal, social, or religious rights and responsibilities.; The union of only two people, to the exclusion of all others. countable, sometimes, specifically, uncountable
"My grandparents' marriage lasted for forty years."
Show 9 more definitions
- 6 the state of being a married couple voluntarily joined for life (or until divorce) wordnet
- 7 A union of two or more people that creates a family tie and carries legal, social, or religious rights and responsibilities.; The union of two people of opposite sex, to the exclusion of all others. countable, often, specifically, uncountable
- 8 a close and intimate union wordnet
- 9 A wedding; a ceremony in which people wed. countable, uncountable
"You are cordially invited to the marriage of James Smith and Jane Doe."
- 10 A close union. countable, figuratively, uncountable
"And this marriage of poetry and history remained a solid relationship throughout the classical period."
- 11 A joining of two parts. countable, figuratively, uncountable
- 12 A king and a queen, when held as a hand in some versions of poker or melded in pinochle. countable, uncountable
- 13 In solitaire or patience games, the placing a card of the same suit on the next one above or below it in value. countable, uncountable
- 14 A homosexual relationship between male prisoners. countable, slang, uncountable
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname
Antonyms
Example
"These days, the motives for marriage are not necessarily pure."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "marriage"?
Common synonyms include: matrimony, wedding, union, wedlock, addition, affiliation.
How do you use "marriage" in a sentence?
These days, the motives for marriage are not necessarily pure.
How do you pronounce "marriage"?
Pronounced /ˈmæɹ.ɪd͡ʒ/.
Etymology
From Middle English mariage, from Old French mariage, from marier (“to marry”), from Latin marītō (“marry”, verb, literally “give in marriage”), from marītus (“lover”, “nuptial”), from mas (“male, masculine, of the male sex”). Equivalent to marry + -age. Doublet of maritage. Displaced native Old English sinsċipe.