Adjective

married (not comparable)

Positive married

Comparative not comparable

Superlative none (absolute)

1. In a state of marriage; having a wife or a husband.
2. (figuratively) Showing commitment or devotion normally reserved for a spouse: married to one's work.

Synonyms

• (in a state of marriage): wed, wedded

Antonyms

• (in a state of marriage): single, unmarried

Verb

married

1. Simple past tense and past participle of marry.

Noun

Singular married

Plural marrieds

married (plural marrieds)

1. A married person.

Anagrams

• admirer
• mardier

Marriage is a social union or legal contract between individuals that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found. Such a union may also be called matrimony, while the ceremony that marks its beginning is usually called a wedding.

People marry for many reasons, most often including one or more of the following: legal, social, emotional, economical, spiritual, and religious. These might include arranged marriages, family obligations, the legal establishment of a nuclear family unit, the legal protection of children and public declaration of love.

Marriage practices are very diverse across cultures, may take many forms, and are often formalized by a ceremony called a wedding. The act of marriage usually creates normative or legal obligations between the individuals involved. In some societies these obligations also extend to certain family members of the married persons. Almost all cultures that recognize marriage also recognize adultery as a violation of the terms of marriage.

External recognition can manifest in a variety of ways. Some examples include the state, a religious authority, or both. It is often viewed as a contract. Civil marriage is the legal concept of marriage as a governmental institution irrespective of religious affiliation, in accordance with marriage laws of the jurisdiction. If recognized by the state, by the religion(s) to which the parties belong or by society in general, the act of marriage changes the personal and social status of the individuals who enter into it.