J. T. Shawcross
Usage of Marriage
The definition of the word marriage—or, more accurately, the understanding of what the institution of marriage properly consists of—continues to be highly controversial. This is not an issue to be resolved by dictionaries. Ultimately, the controversy involves cultural traditions, religious beliefs, legal rulings, and ideas about fairness and basic human rights. The principal point of dispute has to do with marriage between two people of the same sex, often referred to as same-sex marriage or gay marriage. Same-sex marriages are now recognized by law in a growing number of countries and were legally validated throughout the U.S. by the Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges in 2015. In many other parts of the world, marriage continues to be allowed only between men and women. The definition of marriage shown here is intentionally broad enough to encompass the different types of marriage that are currently recognized in varying cultures, places, religions, and systems of law.
Examples of marriage in a Sentence
Luke Smith, New York Times, 11 July 2025
Off-screen, many of them have been in marriages for almost the same amount of time.
—Jacqueline Weiss, People.com, 9 July 2025
Park Hyun-jung, director of population trends at the agency, credited the growth to a sustained rise in marriages, which have trended upward for 13 straight months.
—Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 July 2025
After two marriages — including his first, to Cher’s half-sister Georganne LaPiere — ended in divorce, Madsen married DeAnna Morgan in 1996.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 3 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for marriage
Cite this Entry
“Marriage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/marriage. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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marriage
noun
Legal Definition
marriage
noun
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