civil union

American  

noun

1. 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.

2. civil marriage.

---

Etymology

Origin of civil union

First frecorded in 1835–40

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

civil union

Francis repeated that the Catholic Church cannot permit sacramental marriage of same-sex couples but that he supported so-called civil union legislation giving same-sex couples legal protection in issues such as pensions, inheritance and health care.

From Reuters ● 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

But while being in a civil union meant that same-sex couples had more legal benefits than before, those benefits fell short of those afforded to married couples, especially in relation to children and their care.

From BBC ● 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

The military organization of the Iroquois was exceedingly imperfect and derived all its efficiency from their civil union and their personal prowess.

From The Jesuits in North America in the Seventeenth Century by Francis Parkman