mar ‧ ried S2 W2 /ˈmærid/ BrE AmE adjective
[ Word Family: verb : ↑ marry , ↑ remarry ; noun : ↑ marriage , ↑ remarriage ; adjective : ↑ married ≠ ↑ unmarried , ↑ marriageable ]
1 . having a husband or a wife:
Are you married or single?
They’ve been married for eight years.
Married men earn 70 percent more than single men.
married to
Nicole is married to my brother.
We’re getting married (=marrying) next month.
married couple/man/woman
a happily married man
When she first came to London, she was newly married and out of work.
So, how do you like married life?
► Do not say ‘be married with’ someone or ‘get married with’ someone. Say be married to someone or get married to someone.
2 . be married to something to give most of your time and attention to a job or activity:
I was married to my job.
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ verbs
▪ be married
She’s married now, and living in London.
▪ get married (=to have a wedding)
Did you know that they are going to get married?
▪ stay married
I cannot stay married to a man I do not love.
▪ be married with children (=to be married and have children)
Kevin is married with four children.
■ adverbs
▪ happily married (=in a happy relationship with your husband or wife)
I have been happily married for nine years.
▪ unhappily married (=not in a happy relationship with your husband or wife)
They were behaving like an unhappily married old couple.
▪ newly/recently married (=married not long ago)
The newly married couple arrived at their hotel.
■ nouns
▪ a married man/woman
By 1957 a third of married women were working.
▪ a married couple
Most of their friends are married couples.
▪ married life
Throughout her married life, her husband’s interests had come first.
▪ sb’s married name (=a woman’s last name, when she has changed it to her husband’s name)
She gave them Pat’s married name and address.
▪ married quarters (=where soldiers live with their wives)
Can a soldier’s wife continue to live in married quarters if her husband leaves her?
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ married having a husband or wife:
How long have you been married?
|
a married couple
▪ single not married:
Chris is 45 and still single.
|
single mothers
▪ engaged having formally agreed to marry someone in the future:
Jane and Pete have just got engaged.
|
engaged couples
▪ live together to share a home and have a sexual relationship, but not be married:
More and more couples are choosing to live together rather than get married.
▪ separated no longer living with your husband or wife because of problems in your marriage:
I think Joan and Brian are separated now.
▪ divorced no longer married because you have legally ended your marriage:
My parents got divorced when I was 10.
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divorced men
▪ widowed no longer married because your husband or wife has died:
He’s a widowed father of two.
■ husband/wife etc
▪ husband/wife the man/woman you are married to:
My wife’s a teacher.
▪ partner the person you live with and have a sexual relationship with. Partner is often used when people are not married, or when you do not know if they are married. It is also used when talking about same-sex couples:
He lives with his partner Ruth and their eight-month-old son.
▪ fiancé/fiancée the man/woman you are engaged to:
He and fiancée Wendy Hodgson will marry in July.
▪ divorcee a woman who is divorced:
The Prince announced his intention to marry Mrs Wallis Simpson, an American divorcee.
▪ widow/widower a woman or man whose husband or wife has died:
Imelda Marcos, the widow of the former President
▪ spouse formal your spouse is your husband or wife:
The rule applies to spouses and children of military personnel.
▪ estranged wife/husband formal someone’s estranged husband or wife is one who they do not live with anymore:
She is trying to get her sons back from her estranged husband.
■ someone who is not married
▪ bachelor a man who has never been married:
He’s a confirmed bachelor (=a man who has decided he will never marry) .
▪ spinster old-fashioned a woman who has never been married and is no longer young:
The house was owned by an elderly spinster.