marriage

Also known as matrimony, wedlock

thumb|The symbol for marriage, often used in genealogy

OverviewAI-generated

Marriage is a legal institution and occurrence that serves as a subclass of intimate relationship. It is characterized by a specific type of marriage and functions as a facet of religion and procreation. The concept is represented by the Unicode character ⚭. It is described by sources including the Bible Encyclopedia of Archimandrite Nicephorus, the Orthodox Theological Encyclopedia, and the Jewish Encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron.

The subject follows engagement and wedding, and is followed by legal separation. Its opposite is divorce, and it results in a married couple. It is distinct from the union council of Bangladesh. In academic contexts, PubMed lists 45208 entries for the query marriage. Additionally, the Vinony graph indicates that the topic is referenced by 31,166 other encyclopedia articles.

Synthesized by Vinony from 18 facts across 3 sources: Wikidata, PubMed, Vinony graph. Generated from structured data (not the Wikipedia text) and checked against those facts — may still contain errors.

Research

45,208 papers

Projecting the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Child Marriage.ReviewThe Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine · 2021Yukich J, Worges M, Gage AJ et al.DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2021.07.037
Hypergamy reconsidered: Marriage in England, 1837-2021.PloS one · 2025Clark G, Cummins NDOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0316769
Love and marriage.Manushi · 1994Kishwar M
Consanguineous marriage and its relevance to obstetric practice.ReviewObstetrical & gynecological survey · 2002de Costa CMDOI: 10.1097/00006254-200208000-00023
Consanguineous marriage in Iran.Annals of human biology · 2004Saadat M, Ansari-Lari M, Farhud DDDOI: 10.1080/03014460310001652211
Bride price, dowry, and young men with time to kill: A commentary on men's marriage postponement in India.ReviewPopulation studies · 2022Basu AM, Kumar SDOI: 10.1080/00324728.2022.2080858
Same-Sex Marriage and Common Mental Health Diagnoses: A Sibling Comparison and Adoption Approach.Journal of sex research · 2023Xu Y, Rahman Q, Hiyoshi A et al.DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2022.2120597
Marriage Without Meaningful Consent and Compromised Agency in Married Life: Evidence From Married Girls in Jharkhand, India.The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine · 2022Jejeebhoy SJ, Raushan MRDOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2021.07.005

via PubMed

~117 min read

Encyclopedic overview

76 sections

Contents

Etymology
Definitions
Relation recognized by custom or law
Legitimacy of offspring
Collection of rights
Right of sexual access
Types
Monogamy
Serial monogamy
Polygamy
Polygyny
Polyandry
Plural marriage
Child marriage
Same-sex and third-gender marriages
Temporary marriages
Cohabitation
Partner selection
Age difference
Social status and wealth
Incest taboo, exogamy and endogamy
Prescriptive marriage
Forced marriage
Economic considerations
Dowry
Dower
Bridewealth
Taxation
Divorce
Post-marital residence
Law
Rights and obligations
Property regime
Restrictions
Age
Kinship
Race
Sex
Number of spouses
State recognition
Marriage license, civil ceremony and registration
Common-law marriage
Civil unions
"Marriage of convenience"
Contemporary legal and human rights criticisms of marriage
Power and gender roles
Extra-marital sex
Sexual violence
Laws, human rights and gender status
Right and ability to divorce
Dowry and bridewealth
Children born outside marriage
Religion
Abrahamic religions
Baháʼí Faith
Christianity
Islam
Judaism
Hinduism
Buddhism
Sikhism
Wicca
Health
Divorce and annulment
History
Ancient Near East
Classical Greece and Rome
Germanic tribes
Europe
China
Korea
See also
Notes
References
Further reading
External links

thumb|The symbol for marriage, often used in genealogy

Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and between them and their in-laws. It is nearly a cultural universal, but the definition of marriage varies between cultures and religions, and over time. Typically, it is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually sexual, are acknowledged or sanctioned. In some cultures, marriage is recommended or considered to be compulsory before pursuing sexual activity, and sexual intercourse with others aside from one's spouse may be considered immoral or even illegal. A marriage ceremony is called a wedding, while a private marriage is sometimes called an elopement.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “marriage” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.