wedding

American  

[wed-ing] / ˈwɛd ɪŋ /

noun

1. the act or ceremony of marrying; marriage; nuptials.

2. the anniversary of a marriage, or its celebration.

   They invited guests to their silver wedding.

3. the act or an instance of blending or joining, especially opposite or contrasting elements.

   a perfect wedding of conservatism and liberalism.

4. Business Slang. a merger.

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adjective

1. of or relating to a wedding.

   the wedding ceremony; a wedding dress.

wedding British  

/ ˈwɛdɪŋ /

noun

1. 1. the act of marrying or the celebration of a marriage

   2. ( as modifier )

      wedding day

2. the anniversary of a marriage (in such combinations as silver wedding or diamond wedding )

3. the combination or blending of two separate elements

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wedding Idioms  

1. see shotgun wedding.

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Related Words

See marriage.

Etymology

Origin of wedding

First recorded before 900; Middle English “matrimony, wedlock, marriage,” Old English weddung “betrothal”; wed, -ing ¹

Explanation

A wedding is a celebration or ceremony of marriage. Besides being a formal way to mark the union of two people, weddings can be a lot of fun too. The earliest meaning of wedding was simply "the state of being married," but by the early 1400s it meant the ceremony or rite at the very beginning of a marriage. A wedding can be a simple civil ceremony at City Hall or an elaborate event that takes place over several days and involves religious rituals, food and drink, and hundreds of guests. As an adjective, wedding describes anything related to the ceremony, like wedding cakes and wedding dresses.

Example Sentences

It helped launch the minimalist collections of Narciso Rodriguez, who was Bessette’s friend and designed her wedding dress.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

That means smiling when you see your friend’s daughter the next time, and telling her how wonderful the wedding was and how beautiful she looked, and asking her about her honeymoon.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 13, 2026

Maintaining third spot was "The Drama," a romantic comedy in its second week starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson about a couple unraveling just before their wedding.

From Barron's • Apr. 12, 2026

Without giving too much away, the actors play a soon-to-be married couple and, just before their wedding, a shock revelation happens.

From BBC • Apr. 12, 2026

There is nothing like a palace wedding to draw a fashionable crowd.

From "Secrets at Sea" by Richard Peck

Related Words

• marriage