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.
We pulled together sample provisions of a modern prenup, with the help of Julia Rodgers, founder of the website HelloPrenup, and Sherri Sharma, a matrimonial lawyer at Mosberg Sharma Stambleck Gross.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 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
Their helpline number, he says, receives about 86,000 calls every year and most cases are about matrimonial disputes that include false dowry cases and attempts at extortion.
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
The business side of the arrangement included the settling of a piece of land on young Isaac by the Rector, on condition that he lived away from the new matrimonial home.
From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin
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.
