out of wedlock

1. Of parents not legally married, as in Over the centuries many royal children were born out of wedlock. The noun wedlock, for the state of being married, is rarely heard today except in this phrase, first recorded in 1675; its converse, in wedlock, dates from the 1300s and is even more rarely used.

Example Sentences

Hamilton was born out of wedlock on the island of Nevis in the British West Indies.

From Los Angeles Times

“You were dirt from the street, because you were born out of wedlock,” PJ said.

From BBC

Women brought the victims to her, babies born out of wedlock, perhaps one too many for a household or the mother too young.

From Los Angeles Times

A small-town kid born out of wedlock, he moved from the rustic countryside of Vinci, 30 miles west of Florence, to the sophisticated city to make his way.

From Los Angeles Times

But he was instead mired in scandal, including mounting debts and lawsuits and backlash from two children born out of wedlock.

From Los Angeles Times