levirate

American  

[lev-er-it, -uh-reyt, lee-ver-it, -vuh-reyt] / ˈlɛv ər ɪt, -əˌreɪt, ˈli vər ɪt, -vəˌreɪt /

noun

1. a marriage custom in which a man marries his brother's widow.

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levirate British  

/ ˌlɛvɪˈrætɪk, ˈlɛvɪrɪt /

noun

1. the practice, required by Old Testament law, of marrying the widow of one's brother

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Other Word Forms

• leviratic adjective
• leviratical adjective

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

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 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 McFadyen, John Edgar

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 Finck, Henry Theophilus

There is absolutely no trace of a levirate system by which the nearest male kinsman must marry his deceased brother's widow.

From The Manóbos of Mindanáo Memoirs of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume XXIII, First Memoir by Garvan, John M.