matrimonial
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of matrimonial
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English word from Late Latin word mātrimōniālis. See matrimony, -al 1
Explanation
Anything matrimonial has something to do with marriage or married people. A formal way to say "wedding," for example, would be "matrimonial event." Marriage is a matrimonial agreement or bond, and the house a newly wed couple moves into can be called a matrimonial home. Matrimonial law governs the rules of marriage — like the license that declares two people legally married, or the age a person must be, legally, to get married. Originally, matrimonial was a noun meaning "a marriage," and then "a classified ad posted by someone seeking a spouse."
Vocabulary lists containing matrimonial
Bud, Not Buddy
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Vocabulary from Readings 2, Unit 4
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Novel Study: The Namesake, Chapters 1–4
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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.
Marilyn Chinitz, a New York-based matrimonial attorney at Blank Rome, said one of her clients discovered a secret account kept by her ex-husband.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 19, 2026
“However, if the matrimonial pot does not meet the financial needs of both parties, the U.K. family court may consider splitting pre-marital assets acquired before marriage, as we explain below,” the law firm adds.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 17, 2026
As lawyer Sukriti Chauhan says, "the law had come after a long and hard fight" and "allows women to seek justice in cases of cruelty in their matrimonial homes".
From BBC • Dec. 22, 2024
Marilyn Chinitz, a partner in matrimonial and family law at Blank Rome in New York, said that filing for divorce on fault-based grounds is unnecessary, costly and drives an extra wedge between parties.
From Salon • Nov. 4, 2024
I had thought he would hardly speak to me, and I was certain he had given up the pursuit of his matrimonial scheme: the sequel showed I was mistaken on both points.
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
Definitions 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.
