marital
American-
of or relating to marriage; conjugal; matrimonial.
marital vows; marital discord.
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Archaic. of or relating to a husband.
adjective
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of or relating to marriage
marital status
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of or relating to a husband
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of marital
1595–1605; < Latin marītālis of married people, derivative of marītus of marriage. See marry 1, -al 1
Explanation
Use the adjective marital to describe something that relates to a marriage. You may envy the marital contentment of spouses who communicate well with each other. When you pronounce marital, put the accent on the first syllable and use the short i sound: "MAR i tul." Now you're ready to ask people, "What is your marital status?" They'll answer that they're single or married, or possibly engaged, widowed, divorced, or living as unmarried partners. Marital comes from Latin: maritalis, meaning "of or belonging to married people," and maritus, meaning "husband."
Vocabulary lists containing marital
100 SAT Words Beginning with "M"
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Commonly Confused Words, List 2
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Vocabulary for the Naturalization Interview
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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.
Marital trusts are popular for blended families to pass assets to a surviving spouse and protect children’s inheritance.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 7, 2026
Appeared in the January 22, 2026, print edition as 'My Marital Clash Over Expiration Dates'.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 21, 2026
"Marital bliss and domestic boredom tend to make less interesting rock songs than looking for love," agrees journalist and author Hadley Freeman, speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
From BBC • Aug. 27, 2025
Marital debt, that is debt accrued while the couple was married, is usually divided up by the divorce decree.
From Encyclopedia.com • Jun. 26, 2018
Marital, 22 sq.; filial, 25–26; domestic customs and habits, 46–47 Door-gods.
From Myths and Legends of China by Werner, E. T. C. (Edward Theodore Chalmers)
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.
