arranged marriage

American  

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

noun

arranged marriages plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• arranged marriages
  plural

Etymology

Origin of arranged marriage

First recorded in 1835–40

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

arranged marriage

It was an awkward arranged marriage for Groening — and a “baptism by fire” for Emanuel and his cohort.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 19, 2025

The film is notable for the unflinching way it portrays what its lead actress calls the "very humiliating" experience of many young women, unlike other Indian movies about arranged marriage.

From BBC ● Mar. 6, 2025

Ms Dabas explained that her sister and Mr Lamba had entered into an arranged marriage, with a legal wedding held in August 2023.

From BBC ● Nov. 18, 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