mar ‧ riage S2 W2 /ˈmærɪdʒ/ BrE AmE noun
[ Word Family: verb : ↑ marry , ↑ remarry ; noun : ↑ marriage , ↑ remarriage ; adjective : ↑ married ≠ ↑ unmarried , ↑ marriageable ]
[ Date: 1200-1300 ; Language: French ; Origin: mariage , from marier ; ⇨ ↑ marry ]
1 . [uncountable and countable] the relationship between two people who are married, or the state of being married:
She has three daughters from a previous marriage.
marriage to
his marriage to Marilyn Monroe
marriage between
In Denmark they have legalized marriage between gay couples.
REGISTER
In everyday English, when talking about the action of marrying, people usually use the expression get married rather than marriage :
▪ I think they’re too young for marriage. ➔ I think they’re too young to get married.
2 . [countable] the ceremony in which two people get married SYN wedding :
The marriage took place at St Bartholomew’s Church.
3 . by marriage if you are related to someone by marriage, they are married to someone in your family, or you are married to someone in theirs:
her cousin by marriage
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ adjectives
▪ a happy/unhappy marriage
Ours was a very happy marriage.
▪ a successful marriage
The key to a successful marriage is friendship.
▪ a failed/broken marriage
After two failed marriages, she was not willing to risk marrying again.
▪ sb’s first/second etc marriage
She had two children from her first marriage.
▪ a previous marriage
Anne is his daughter from a previous marriage.
▪ an arranged marriage (=when your parents choose the person you will marry)
In their culture, there is a tradition of arranged marriage.
▪ a same-sex/gay marriage (=a marriage between two homosexual people, which is not legal in many places)
a proposal to allow same-sex marriage in the state
▪ a mixed marriage (=between people of different races or religions)
Her parents disapproved of mixed marriages.
▪ an interracial marriage (=between people of different races)
Interracial marriage is more common than it used to be.
▪ a loveless marriage
Why should I stay in a loveless marriage?
▪ a childless marriage
It was a happy but childless marriage.
■ verbs
▪ have a long/happy etc marriage
They have a happy marriage.
▪ a marriage ends
Her three marriages all ended in divorce.
▪ a marriage breaks down/up (=ends because of disagreements)
Liz’s marriage broke up after only eight months.
▪ save your marriage (=do things to try to stay together as a married couple)
They’re going to counseling to try to save their marriage.
▪ propose marriage formal (=ask someone to marry you)
He plucked up the courage to propose marriage to her.
▪ consummate a marriage formal (=make your marriage complete by having sex)
She claimed that he abused her and never consummated the marriage.
▪ a marriage is annulled formal (=is officially ended by a court or church)
Henry VIII had his first marriage annulled.
■ phrases
▪ the breakdown/breakup of sb’s marriage (=the end of it)
The breakup of her marriage had a devastating effect on her.
▪ a proposal of marriage formal (=when someone asks you to marry them)
She rejected his proposal of marriage.
▪ be born outside marriage (=be born when your parents are not married)
Four in ten children are born outside marriage.
▪ sex before/outside marriage
Her religious beliefs prevented sex before marriage.
▪ ask for sb’s hand in marriage old-fashioned (=ask someone to marry you, or ask their parents for permission to marry)
He asked my father for my hand in marriage.
▪ the sanctity of marriage formal (=marriage seen as something that is very important and must be preserved and respected)
■ COMMON ERRORS
► Do not say ' marriage life '. Say married life .
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ wedding a ceremony in which two people get married, especially one with a religious service:
We had our wedding in the local church.
|
a registry office wedding
▪ marriage a wedding. Marriage is less common and more formal than wedding :
Their marriage will take place in Westminster Abbey.
▪ reception a large formal meal or party after a wedding:
Where will you be having your reception?
▪ honeymoon a holiday taken by two people who have just got married:
We’re going to Barbados for our honeymoon.