levirate
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of levirate
First recorded in 1715–25; from Latin lēvir “husband's brother” (akin to Greek dāḗr, Sanskrit devar, Old English tācor ) + -ate 3
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.
Several independent cases show that these communities practised so-called levirate unions.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 24, 2024
Practices such as the levirate, in which a young male marries his elder brother’s widow, were used widely by Inner Asian Steppe peoples and adopted by a number of early Korean ruling families.
From Textbooks ● Apr. 19, 2023
The levirate, or marriage with deceased husband's brother, seems to have had no place in Greek family law.
From On The Structure of Greek Tribal Society: An Essay by Seebohm, Hugh E. (Hugh Exton)
But this exists in Manu, side by side with the above-mentioned custom of levirate proper.
From On The Structure of Greek Tribal Society: An Essay by Seebohm, Hugh E. (Hugh Exton)
He regards this rather unfortunately named custom of the levirate as having its root in group marriage.
From Kinship Organisations and Group Marriage in Australia by Thomas, Northcote Whitridge
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.
