matrimony

American  

[ma-truh-moh-nee] / ˈmæ trəˌmoʊ ni /

noun

PLURAL

matrimonies

1. the state of being married; marriage.

   He was married in 1870 and lived in matrimony 12 years.

2. the rite, ceremony, or sacrament of marriage.

   The priest has united them in the bonds of holy matrimony.

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matrimony British  

/ ˈmætrɪmənɪ /

noun

1. the state or condition of being married

2. the ceremony or sacrament of marriage

3. 1. a card game in which the king and queen together are a winning combination

   2. such a combination

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Etymology

Origin of matrimony

1250–1300; Middle English < Latin mātrimōnium wedlock. See matri-, -mony

Example Sentences

Rabbi Joshua Skoff announced the winner in the anniversary derby, a couple celebrating 55 years of matrimony.

From The Wall Street Journal

“I still would like to get married,” says Parker, who had a brief matrimony during his playing days that was annulled after less than a week.

From Los Angeles Times

Such an alliance is an unholy matrimony since Yarvin and his student technocrats seem only to be focused on a marriage of monarchism and kleptocracy.

From Salon

July 1, 2015 The Episcopal Church permits any couple the rite of matrimony.

From Seattle Times

And it’s not difficult to envision several schools seeking refuge in the Big 12, prompting the strangest of bedfellows to join together in unholy matrimony.

From Seattle Times