MORGANATIC


Meaning of MORGANATIC in English

[ ˌmɔ:gə'natɪk ]

■ adjective of or denoting a marriage in which neither the spouse of lower rank, nor any children, have any claim to the possessions or title of the spouse of higher rank.

Derivatives

~ally adverb

Origin

C18: from mod. L. ~us , from med. L. matrimonium ad ~am 'marriage with a morning gift' (because a gift given by a husband on the morning after the marriage was the wife's sole entitlement).

Concise Oxford English vocab.      Сжатый оксфордский словарь английского языка.