arranged marriage

American  

[uh-reynjd mar-ij] / əˈreɪndʒd ˈmær ɪdʒ /

noun

1. a marriage in which the bride and groom were chosen to marry each other by their parents or other relatives.

   Although arranged marriage is the cultural practice in India, it is no longer the only avenue available to young men and women.

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Etymology

Origin of arranged marriage

First recorded in 1835–40

Example Sentences

But we soon learn it's Savita, the film's protagonist, waking from an impossible dream - her real life, like that of many Indian women caught in the tradition of arranged marriage, is the exact opposite.

From BBC • May 28, 2025

He told us it was something of an arranged marriage, as his mother kept inviting Stella for dinner until eventually the penny dropped that he should take her out.

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2025

It’s a comedy about a South Asian teen who rebels against her sister’s arranged marriage with some of the baddest martial arts moves ever performed in a sari.

From Los Angeles Times • May 30, 2024

Some go further and seek to forbid all forms of dating, embracing a "courtship" model almost indistinguishable from arranged marriage.

From Salon • Mar. 8, 2024

He escaped from the Russian army and snuck over the Polish border and married my mother in an arranged marriage.

From "The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother" by James McBride