levirate

American  

[lev-er-it, -uh-rayt, lee-ver-it, -vuh-rayt] / 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  

/ 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

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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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

levirate

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 nearest resemblance to the levirate in Greece is the occasional custom at Sparta, mentioned already, of a wife being “commissioned” to bear children by another man into the family of her husband.

From On The Structure of Greek Tribal Society: An Essay by Hugh E. (Hugh Exton) Seebohm

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

Among these customs are infant marriage, infant betrothal, capture, purchase, marrying whole families of sisters, and the levirate.

From Primitive Love and Love-Stories by Henry Theophilus Finck

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