marry

verb mar·ry \ ˈmer-ē , ˈma-rē \

|Updated on: 16 Aug 2018

Examples: marry in a Sentence

Definition of marry

married; marrying

transitive verb

1 a : to join in marriage according to law or custom

b : to give in marriage

married his daughter to his partner's son

c : to take as spouse : wed

married the girl next door

d : to perform the ceremony of marriage for

a priest will marry them

e : to obtain by marriage

marry wealth

2 : to unite in close and usually permanent relation

intransitive verb

1 : to take a spouse : wed

He first married at twenty.

2 : combine, unite

seafood marries with other flavors

— marry into

: to become a member of by marriage

married into a prominent family

See marry defined for English-language learners

See marry defined for kids

Examples of marry in a Sentence

He married his college sweetheart.
I asked her to marry me.
“Will you marry me?” “Yes, I will.”
They married for love, not money.
The minister has married more than 100 couples.
They hope to have a priest marry them.
They were married by a justice of the peace.

Recent Examples of marry from the Web

Since marrying Prince Harry, Meghan Markle’s wardrobe has taken a turn for the royal.

— anna millard, refinery29.com, "Yes, You've Seen Meghan Markle's Wimbledon Hat Before," 14 July 2018
After marrying the late William (Bill) Grinold in 1981, Joyce became a realtor associated with R. Sparrow Hicks of Woodstock.

— courant.com, "Joyce A. Grinold," 13 July 2018
Not long after the Belk Bowl, Appleby, who married former U of L cheerleader Leslie Courtney while still playing at Louisville, took an IT job near his wife's hometown in Charlotte after trying to make an NFL roster.

— fletcher page, The Courier-Journal, "Former U of L punter Josh Appleby now holds vital role for NASCAR team," 13 July 2018
Millennials are less likely to be married with kids than previous generations Delays into entry for these life changes may be just that — delays.

— jeff andrews, Curbed, "Why aren’t millennials buying houses?," 11 July 2018
The longest married was yacht designer Tom Wilson and real estate agent Lillian Vilchez.

— johnny diaz, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Lifetime TV network to pay for Miami courthouse weddings today," 10 July 2018
When Madonna married British director Guy Ritchie and moved to London in the early 2000s, fans couldn't help but notice her voice...changed.

— christopher rosa, Glamour, "People Are Debating Whether or Not Meghan Markle Has a British Accent in This Video," 6 July 2018
Both those teams were among football’s best in the screen game, and at marrying the running game and passing attack.

— gary gramling, SI.com, "David Johnson Is No. 2, Be Patient and Wait for Luck and Mahomes, the Non-Saquon Rookie You Want," 6 July 2018
And today at the Commonwealth Youth Challenge reception at Kensington Palace, the Duchess sought to marry her American heritage with her new role in Brandon Maxwell’s cheery sunflower yellow sheath dress.

— edward barsamian, Vogue, "Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Nods to the Fourth of July By Wearing This American Label," 5 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'marry.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of marry

Middle English marien, from Anglo-French marier, from Latin maritare, from maritus married

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

See Words from the same year

marry Synonyms

marry

interjection

Definition of marry

archaic

—used for emphasis and especially to express amused or surprised agreement

Origin and Etymology of marry

Middle English marie, from Marie, the Virgin Mary

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

MARRY Defined for English Language Learners

marry

verb

Definition of marry for English Language Learners

: to become the husband or wife of (someone) : to become joined with (someone) in marriage
: to perform a ceremony in which two people get married
: to find a husband or wife for (your child)