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.

Other Word Forms

• conjugality noun
• conjugally adverb
• nonconjugal adjective
• nonconjugally adverb
• nonconjugality noun
• unconjugal 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

He was shuttled among prisons, and eventually allowed conjugal visits; his wife gave birth to two children.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

A woman was killed during a conjugal visit with her husband, a convicted killer, at Mule Creek State Prison in Ione, according to authorities.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

“If they haven’t stopped these conjugal visits, they definitely have to stop that right now. Procedures need to change to make it safer.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

A convicted killer serving life in prison for four Los Angeles County slayings strangled his wife to death during a conjugal visit, Northern California sheriff’s officials announced.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The show opens with a widowed Suzannah, saucily played by Busch, mourning the loss of a “conjugal partner of inexhaustible pyrotechnics.”

Read more on New York Times

When To Use

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.