married
Americanadjective
-
having a husband or wife
-
joined in marriage
a married couple
-
of or involving marriage or married persons
-
closely or intimately united
noun
Other Word Forms
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Brass is survived by his wife, Caterina, whom he married in 2017, and his children.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026
For married couples who file jointly, it is $33,200, up from $32,200.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026
The 24% rate goes for individuals’ income over $109,125, or $218,250 for married couples.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 5, 2026
For tax year 2027, a married couple filing jointly could have $104,050 in taxable income, $3,250 more than this year, and stay in the 12% bracket.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026
The couple told Kate and Mother that they were to be married.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
![]()
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.