sororate

American

[sawr-uh-reyt, sohr-] / ˈsɔr əˌreɪt, ˈsoʊr- /

noun

subsequent or concurrent marriage with a wife's sister.

sororate British

/ ˈsɒrəˌreɪt /

noun

the custom in some societies of a widower marrying his deceased wife's younger sister

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of sororate

1905–10; < Latin sorōr- (stem of soror ) sister + -ate ³

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023