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Synonyms

marital

American  
[mar-i-tl] / ˈmær ɪ tl /
  1. of or relating to marriage; conjugal; matrimonial.

    marital vows; marital discord.

  2. Archaic. of or relating to a husband.


marital British  
/ ˈmærɪtəl /

adjective

  1. of or relating to marriage

    marital status

  2. of or relating to a husband

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of marital

1595–1605; < Latin marītālis of married people, derivative of marītus of marriage. See marry 1, -al 1

Explanation

Use the adjective marital to describe something that relates to a marriage. You may envy the marital contentment of spouses who communicate well with each other. When you pronounce marital, put the accent on the first syllable and use the short i sound: "MAR i tul." Now you're ready to ask people, "What is your marital status?" They'll answer that they're single or married, or possibly engaged, widowed, divorced, or living as unmarried partners. Marital comes from Latin: maritalis, meaning "of or belonging to married people," and maritus, meaning "husband."

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing marital

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.

See Examples For:

The Sun follows with more details of Guardiola's reported talk to his team about his marital problems in a new documentary that "lifts lid on his agony".

From BBC Aug. 18, 2026

Only a handful of states, including Massachusetts and Hawaii, have barred marital status as a rating factor.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 4, 2026

My advice, as a marital and family therapist with almost 20 years’ experience, is that if your therapist freely doles out advice: Find a new therapist.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 26, 2026

Seoul High Court ruled Friday that Roh was entitled to a cash payout worth one-third of the couple's marital assets.

From Barron's Jul. 24, 2026

José Arcadio had put his neck into the marital yoke.

From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

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