married

American  

[mar-eed] / ˈmær id /

adjective

1. united in wedlock; wedded.

   married couples.

2. of or relating to marriage or married persons; connubial; conjugal.

   married happiness.

3. (of an antique) created from components of two or more authentic pieces.

4. interconnected or joined; united.

5. (of a family name) acquired through marriage.

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noun

1. Usually marrieds. married couples or married people.

   young marrieds moving into their first home.

married British  

/ ˈmærɪd /

adjective

1. having a husband or wife

2. joined in marriage

   a married couple

3. of or involving marriage or married persons

4. closely or intimately united

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noun

1. (usually plural) a married person (esp in the phrase young marrieds )

Other Word Forms

• marriedly
  adverb
• unmarried
  adjective
• well-married
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of married

Middle English word dating back to 1325–75; see origin at marry ¹, -ed ²

Explanation

Married people are legally committed to each other — they're joined in marriage, or wedded. Even though you may feel emotionally committed to your mate, you need to legally tie the know to be considered married. A married couple has made an official, legal agreement to be partners. If your many brothers and sisters are all married, it means you have a lot of sisters- and brothers-in-law (the spouses of your siblings). You can also use married to describe things that have something to do with marriage: "Those two are the picture of married bliss." The Latin root of married is maritare, "to wed or to marry."

Example Sentences

This ties into the Moneyist’s advice for people who are considering getting married.

From MarketWatch • May 29, 2026

“These can include when the beneficiary graduates from college, gets married, etc. Trusts can also be used to help your beneficiaries meet specific goals, such as buying a home or starting a business.”

From MarketWatch • May 28, 2026

Dame Mary said her first garden as a married woman was at a home on Farmer Street in Notting Hill, west London.

From BBC • May 28, 2026

He would pretend to get married in the middle of a call or announce he’d just crashed his car.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026

Folks had been calling him Uncle Alf for years, even though he was barely older than Pa. He’d been married once but his wife died young, before they had a chance to have a family.

From "The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs" by Betty G. Birney