noun

marriage

MAR-ij/ˈmærɪdʒ/

A recognized union of two people as spouses.

Their marriage is built on trust and a shared sense of humor.

An older adult couple stands together holding hands after a small civil wedding ceremony, matching wedding bands visible, a civil officiant and two witnesses smile nearby, a plain closed register on table.

Etymology

Old French mariage meant “marriage” or “dowry” and ultimately came from a verb meaning “to wed.” The English noun names both the act of entering wedlock and the continuing union that results.

In context

Enhanced Public Domain116:52

God it's often worse no wonder that one in 11 ends in divorce the only way to avoid spiritual separation is to shun legal Union like a contagious disease modern marriage is divorce

1910s Play: Jesse Lynch Williams - Why Marry? (Audiobook)

More examples

They celebrate twenty years of marriage this weekend.
The state recognizes their marriage.
Her grandparents' marriages both lasted more than fifty years.

Forms

marriage · marriages

marry verb — To enter a recognized union as spouses.

marital adjective — Relating to marriage between spouses.

Similar words

matrimony: More formal; refers to the married state, not individual unions.
union: Broader term for a partnership, not necessarily between spouses.