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 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 More alarming are those married couples in her practice who were in open marriages or already having multiple clandestine affairs and now are flouting guidelines by continuing to take new lovers. Maria Puente, USA TODAY, 1 May 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'open marriage.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1971, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of open marriage was in 1971

Dictionary Entries Near open marriage

Cite this Entry

“Open marriage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/open%20marriage. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

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