civil union
Americannoun
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a relationship between a couple that is legally recognized by a governmental authority and has many of the rights and responsibilities of marriage.
civil unions for same-sex couples.
Etymology
Origin of civil union
First frecorded 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.
But he said he supported so-called civil union legislation, and stressed that laws banning homosexuality were "a problem that cannot be ignored".
From BBC ● Feb. 5, 2023
Engineer Javier Silva and dentist Jaime Nazar have been together for seven years and had previously legalized their status as a couple under a civil union agreement.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 10, 2022
They have had a civil union for the last three years, but marriage is a significant step forward for their whole family.
From Reuters ● Mar. 10, 2022
They established a civil union in Vermont in 2000 and married in Toronto’s city hall in August 2003, soon after same-sex marriages were legalized in Ontario.
From Washington Post ● Feb. 22, 2022
Is marriage, then, merely a civil union formed under the eyes of the church-police?
From A Twofold Life by Wilhelmine von Hillern
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.
