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arranged marriage

American

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

noun

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.

Etymology

Origin of arranged marriage

First recorded in 1835–40

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.

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

Sthal offers an unsparing look at the grim side of arranged marriage in India—often romanticised on screen with song and dance.

From BBC • May 28, 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

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

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023