open marriage
noun
: a marriage in which the partners agree to let each other have sexual partners outside the marriage
Examples of open marriage in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In this relationship comedy, a man (Kyle Marvin) seeks a little help from his friends after his wife (Adria Arjona) asks for a divorce, only to throw the friends’ (Dakota Johnson, Michael Angelo Covino) professedly open marriage into disarray in the process.
—
Chris Foran, jsonline.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Splitsville understands why modern romance makes an open marriage so appealing.
—Faith Hill, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2025
Paul and Julie have an open marriage; their relationship is as modern as their taste in architecture, and Carey, guileless to a fault, assumes that his friend won’t mind.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2025
The messages appeared to show a disagreement between the two over the terms of their open marriage, according to The Newnan Times-Herald.
—Jenna Sundel, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Aug. 2025
According to a 2023 Pew Research study, more than half of people under 30 are comfortable with open marriages, for example, as opposed to 41% of those ages 30 to 49 (millennials and a sliver of Gen X).
—David Oliver, USA TODAY, 8 Oct. 2024
Couples in open marriages are able to explore their desires and preferences while still prioritizing their emotional connection and commitment to each other.
—Mark Travers, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2024
The Pew Research study mentioned above says half of Americans think open marriages are somewhat or completely unacceptable.
—Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 29 Nov. 2023
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Chris Foran, jsonline.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Splitsville understands why modern romance makes an open marriage so appealing.
—Faith Hill, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2025
Paul and Julie have an open marriage; their relationship is as modern as their taste in architecture, and Carey, guileless to a fault, assumes that his friend won’t mind.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2025
The messages appeared to show a disagreement between the two over the terms of their open marriage, according to The Newnan Times-Herald.
—Jenna Sundel, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Aug. 2025
According to a 2023 Pew Research study, more than half of people under 30 are comfortable with open marriages, for example, as opposed to 41% of those ages 30 to 49 (millennials and a sliver of Gen X).
—David Oliver, USA TODAY, 8 Oct. 2024
Couples in open marriages are able to explore their desires and preferences while still prioritizing their emotional connection and commitment to each other.
—Mark Travers, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2024
The Pew Research study mentioned above says half of Americans think open marriages are somewhat or completely unacceptable.
—Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 29 Nov. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Open marriage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/open%20marriage. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share