wedlock

noun

wed·lock | \ ˈwed-ˌläk

Definition of wedlock

: the state of being married : marriage, matrimony

out of wedlock

: with the natural parents not legally married to each other

Synonyms Example Sentences Learn More about wedlock

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Examples of wedlock in a Sentence

joined the happy couple in holy wedlock

Recent Examples on the Web

If Albus’s mother, Kendra Dumbledore, had a baby out of wedlock after her husband’s death, the youngest that kid could be in 1927 is 28. — Aja Romano, Vox, "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald’s bonkers plot twist, explained," 17 Nov. 2018 But unwed mothers and babies born out of wedlock face stigma in the socially conservative country. — Vidhi Doshi, Washington Post, "Nun from Mother Teresa’s charity in India arrested on suspicion of selling baby," 6 July 2018 Even those from red families were more likely than my acquaintances in New York to know someone who has had a child out of wedlock or is subject to a restraining order. — Jeet Heer, The New Republic, "Trump’s sexual misconduct does not embody working class family values.," 2 July 2018 In Rajasthan, a vast and socially conservative desert state, the national survey said that 35.4 percent of women had been forced into wedlock as girls. — Author: Shashank Bengali, Anchorage Daily News, "In India, ‘child marriage is like a disease’," 24 June 2018 In Rajasthan, a vast and socially conservative desert state, the national survey said that 35.4% of women had been forced into wedlock as girls. — Shashank Bengali, latimes.com, "An Indian activist fights in court to help child brides and grooms win their lives back," 18 June 2018 Nationwide, 40% of American children are born out of wedlock — or 1.5 million births, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. — Tresa Baldas, Detroit Free Press, "Miguel Cabrera child support case: Do kids need dad more than money?," 31 May 2018 Gold-Bikin, the past chairwoman of the American Bar Association’s Section of Family Law, said the courts have not been sympathetic to women who have children out of wedlock with celebrities and seek large child support payments. — Tresa Baldas, Detroit Free Press, "Miguel Cabrera child support case: Do kids need dad more than money?," 31 May 2018 Elle Fanning plays the author and Douglas Booth her out-of-wedlock lover and eventual husband, the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley. — Ben Kenigsberg, New York Times, "Summer 2018 Movie Release Schedule," 4 May 2018

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