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

Two of the vessel's hantavirus victims -- a married Dutch couple -- had traveled extensively in Argentina for four months, with forays into Chile and Uruguay.

From Barron's • May 19, 2026

A bride wed in a dressing gown, slippers and hair rollers so her new husband could see how married life was going to be.

From BBC • May 19, 2026

URUAPAN, Mexico — Grecia Quiroz sometimes felt like she was married to a superhero.

From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 2026

But much of the difference comes from one of the most important social shifts of the past half-century: Labor-force participation among married mothers rose from about 45% in 1975 to 72% in 2025.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 18, 2026

As you may recall, Miss Constance Barbey had been her name before she married Lord Fredrick.

From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood