commitment ceremony

American  

[kuh-mit-muhnt ser-uh-moh-nee] / kəˈmɪt mənt ˌsɛr əˌmoʊ ni /

noun

1. a ceremony and celebration that affirms the love and commitment between two people who cannot or do not want to marry each other, typically a same-sex couple.

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Etymology

Origin of commitment ceremony

First recorded in 1985–90

Example Sentences

In 1999, my girlfriend and I had a commitment ceremony in Washington, then a Massachusetts marriage in 2004 and a Connecticut civil union in 2007, which was eventually recognized as marriage in every state.

From New York Times • Jan. 4, 2022

We started with nine people and had a commitment ceremony, where among other things we described the attributes and strengths we perceived in each person.

From Washington Post • Oct. 1, 2021

So we decided instead to have a commitment ceremony.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 12, 2021

I’d planned to kick off the season by visiting my parents in Jersey and giving a speech at my friends’ commitment ceremony in Brooklyn.

From Slate • Oct. 10, 2019

About 10 years later they had a commitment ceremony to celebrate their relationship.

From BBC • Aug. 4, 2017