conjugal
Americanadjective
-
of, relating to, or characteristic of marriage.
conjugal vows.
- Synonyms:
- connubial, nuptial, matrimonial
-
pertaining to the relation between marriage partners.
- Synonyms:
- marital
adjective
Usage
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.
Other Word Forms
- conjugality noun
- conjugally adverb
- nonconjugal adjective
- nonconjugality noun
- nonconjugally adverb
- unconjugal adjective
Etymology
Origin of conjugal
1535–45; < Latin conjugālis, equivalent to con- con- + jug ( um ) yoke 1 + -ālis -al 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
His handling of “By the Sea,” the Act 2 duet with Margherita, forensically details Sweeney’s growing distaste for the conjugal fantasies of his partner in crime.
From Los Angeles Times
The law will erase an ambiguity that has persisted despite there being no explicit mention of "conjugal duty" in any legal text.
From BBC
“If they haven’t stopped these conjugal visits, they definitely have to stop that right now. Procedures need to change to make it safer.”
From Los Angeles Times
I was surprised he would dare go into acting with me in a film about a long-lasting, conjugal relationship.”
From Los Angeles Times
Four in every 100 girls aged 12-17 were either married or in a voluntary conjugal union, or had been, according to a 2020 census.
From Reuters
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.