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- Dictionarymarriage/ˈmarɪdʒ/
noun
- 1. the legally or formally recognized union of two people as partners in a personal relationship (historically and in some jurisdictions specifically a union between a man and a woman): "a happy marriage" Similar Opposite
- 2. a combination or mixture of elements: "her music is a marriage of funk, jazz, and hip-hop" Similar Opposite
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Learn the broad and inclusive definition of marriage as a consensual and contractual relationship recognized by law, and see examples of different types of marriage. Explore the synonyms, etymology, history, and related phrases of marriage.
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and between them and their in-laws.
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- Marital customs and laws
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marriage, a legally and socially sanctioned union, usually between a man and a woman, that is regulated by laws, rules, customs, beliefs, and attitudes that prescribe the rights and duties of the partners and accords status to their offspring (if any). The universality of marriage within different societies and cultures is attributed to the many basic social and personal functions for which it provides structure, such as sexual gratification and regulation, division of labour between the sexes, economic production and consumption, and satisfaction of personal needs for affection, status, and companionship. Perhaps its strongest function concerns procreation, the care of children and their education and socialization, and regulation of lines of descent. Through the ages, marriages have taken a great number of forms. (See exchange marriage; group marriage; polyandry; polygamy; tree marriage. See also common-law marriage.)
By the 21st century the nature of marriage in Western countries—particularly with regard to the significance of procreation and the ease of divorce—had begun to change. In 2000 the Netherlands became the first country to legalize same-sex marriages; the law went into force on April 1, 2001. In the ensuing years, numerous other countries—including Canada (2005), France (2013), the United States (2015), and Germany (2017)—followed suit. In addition, some countries extended benefits and obligations to same-sex couples by means of a registered partnership or civil union, both of which terms meant different things in different contexts.
Some form of marriage has been found to exist in all human societies, past and present. Its importance can be seen in the elaborate and complex laws and rituals surrounding it. Although these laws and rituals are as varied and numerous as human social and cultural organizations, some universals do apply.
The main legal function of marriage is to ensure the rights of the partners with respect to each other and to ensure the rights and define the relationships of children within a community. Marriage has historically conferred a legitimate status on the offspring, which entitled him or her to the various privileges set down by the traditions of that community, including the right of inheritance. In most societies marriage also established the permissible social relations allowed to the offspring, including the acceptable selection of future spouses.
Until the late 20th century, marriage was rarely a matter of free choice. In Western societies love between spouses came to be associated with marriage, but even in Western cultures (as the novels of writers such as Henry James and Edith Wharton attest) romantic love was not the primary motive for matrimony in most eras, and one’s marriage partner was carefully chosen.
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Endogamy, the practice of marrying someone from within one’s own tribe or group, is the oldest social regulation of marriage. When the forms of communication with outside groups are limited, endogamous marriage is a natural consequence. Cultural pressures to marry within one’s social, economic, and ethnic group are still very strongly enforced in some societies.
Marriage is a legally and socially sanctioned union that varies across cultures and times. Learn about its functions, forms, laws, rituals, and challenges from Britannica's experts.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Oct 31, 2023 · Marriage is a legally recognized and ceremonious union between two individuals, based on love and mutual commitment. Learn about the history, benefits, and diversity of marriage across cultures and societies.
Learn the meaning of marriage as a legally accepted relationship between two people, or the official ceremony that results in this. See examples of marriage in different contexts, such as common-law marriage, marriage of convenience, and marriage plot novel.
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. any close or intimate association or union: the marriage of words and music in a hit song. Synonyms: confederation, alliance, oneness, unity, merger, blend.
Learn the meaning of marriage as a legally accepted relationship between two people, or the official ceremony that results in this. See examples of marriage in different contexts, such as common-law marriage, marriage of convenience, and marriage of jazz, blues, and pop.
