conjugal

[ kon-juh-guhl ]

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of marriage:

   conjugal vows.

   Synonyms: connubial, nuptial, matrimonial

2. pertaining to the relation between marriage partners.

   Synonyms: marital

conjugal

/ ˌkɒndʒʊˈɡælɪtɪ; ˈkɒndʒʊɡəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to marriage or the relationship between husband and wife

   conjugal rights

conjugal

1. A descriptive term for the relationship between married persons. A conjugal family is the same as a nuclear family , composed of married parents and their children. Conjugal relatives (in-laws) trace their relations through the marriage of their respective blood relatives.

Derived Forms

• conjugality, noun
• ˈconjugally, adverb

Other Words From

• conju·gali·ty noun
• conju·gal·ly adverb
• non·conju·gal adjective
• non·conju·gal·ly adverb
• noncon·ju·gali·ty noun
• un·conju·gal adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of conjugal¹

1535–45; < Latin conjugālis, equivalent to con- con- + jug ( um ) yoke ¹ + -ālis -al ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of conjugal¹

C16: from Latin conjugālis, from conjunx wife or husband, from conjungere to unite; see conjoin

Example Sentences

For one thing, the landfills will thank you for not burdening them with old, working toasters that no one wants just because they aren’t new, conjugal toasters.

From Washington Post

The Conjugal Coat of Arms was approved this year by the Queen and is being shown publicly for the first time today.

From The Daily Beast

Conjugal visits are allowed in Peruvian prisons if couples register as common-law partners, as the two lovebirds are.

From The Daily Beast

For example, he authorized conjugal visits for prisoners for the first time in the state and broadened environmental protection.

From The Daily Beast

Contrast this vision of conjugal kink with traditional Christianity, which tends to treat sex as, at best, a necessary evil.

From The Daily Beast

They're supposed to be within marriage, for purposes that are, yes, conjugal... but also procreative.

From The Daily Beast

I conceive that the strictest union of affection is requisite to conjugal felicity.

From Project Gutenberg

Wearing apparel, furniture, jewelry, even legal expenses incurred in regaining her conjugal rights have been included.

From Project Gutenberg

This conjugal annoyance is the only one that makes you beside yourself with joy.

From Project Gutenberg

She rose with a smile to guide the young and guileless apprentice to conjugal arts through the labyrinth of her palace.

From Project Gutenberg

You are the luckiest of men in having successfully managed to escape from this first dangerous pass in conjugal life.

From Project Gutenberg

About This Word

What does conjugal mean?

Conjugal means relating to marriage, but it is perhaps best known for its use in conjugal visit, in a which prisoner is allowed to visit privately with their spouse for the purpose of having sexual relations.

Otherwise, conjugal is often used in legal or religious contexts in discussions about particular aspects of marriage.

Example: Gary and Sam got married in 1990 and have been living in conjugal bliss ever since.

Where does conjugal come from?

The first records of conjugal come from the 1500s. It comes from the Latin conjugālis, from conjunx, meaning “wife” or “husband.” Conjunx comes from the Latin verb conjungere, meaning “to unite.”

Conjugal is generally used to describe any situation related to married people. For example, it is used in the phrase conjugal family, meaning “a family composed of married parents and their children” (the term is synonymous with nuclear family). It is used in some phrases in much the same way as the word marital would be, such as conjugal bliss and conjugal vows.

The conjugal in conjugal visit still refers to marriage—conjugal visits are typically reserved for married partners. However, due to the meaning of the term, conjugal has become associated with sex, such as in phrases like conjugal relations.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to conjugal?

• nonconjugal (adjective)
• conjugality (noun)
• conjugally (adverb)

What are some synonyms for conjugal?

• marital
• spousal 
• matrimonial 
• nuptial
• connubial 

What are some words that share a root or word element with conjugal? 

 

• conjugate
• conjunction
• conjoin

What are some words that often get used in discussing conjugal?

 

• visit
• sex
• marriage
• love
• rights
• relationship

How is conjugal used in real life?

The formality of conjugal means it’s rarely used in casual contexts. An exception is conjugal visit, which is used literally to refer to prison visits as well as in other ways (especially attempts to be humorous) to refer to a sexual encounter in which one person visits another for the specific purpose of sex.

Alhamdulillah. colorful weddings everywhere.A big congratulation to all that make it this year on reaching this lovely milestone of conjugal bliss. We pray that favour and luck may follow you all the days of your unions. Best wishes for the future 🙌

— Mallam (@acceptkt) December 28, 2019

Local names for periwinkle include ‘bachelor’s buttons’ in Somerset and ‘fairy-paintbrush’ in Cornwall. Periwinkles have long been associated with conjugal love. In Gloucestershire, they were often used as the ‘something blue’ in a bride’s apparel. #FolkloreThursday pic.twitter.com/hIJq30dUFm

— The English Garden (@TEGmagazine) March 26, 2020

Colombia: The Department of Justice and the National Institute of Prisons will offer public apologies to a former inmate who was denied a conjugal visit from her same-sex partner 21 years ago on the basis of "immorality". She now resides in Boston, MA. https://t.co/fbDDgY0VwB

— El Duquito (@Blabbeando) December 6, 2017