levirate
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of levirate
First recorded in 1715–25; from Latin lēvir “husband's brother” (akin to Greek dāḗr, Sanskrit devar, Old English tācor ) + -ate 3
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.
Several independent cases show that these communities practised so-called levirate unions.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 24, 2024
Practices such as the levirate, in which a young male marries his elder brother’s widow, were used widely by Inner Asian Steppe peoples and adopted by a number of early Korean ruling families.
From Textbooks ● Apr. 19, 2023
The levirate prevails, or has prevailed, among a great number of races, from the lowest to those considerably advanced.
From Primitive Love and Love-Stories by Henry Theophilus Finck
The object of the book has been supposed by some to be to commend the so-called levirate marriage.
From Introduction to the Old Testament by John Edgar McFadyen
As for the levirate, that is another very wide-spread custom which shows an utter disregard of woman's preference and choice.
From Primitive Love and Love-Stories by Henry Theophilus Finck
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.
