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.
Getting married is one of the biggest financial decisions you’ll ever make, notes Sarah Luetto, a partner at the law firm BlankRome who specializes in matrimonial and family law.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 8, 2026
I’m back from a matrimonial break with a pep in my step and a shiny new ring on my finger.
From Slate ● Aug. 5, 2026
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
The singer returns to the matrimonial analogies to describe the myriad musicality and collabs of his storied solo career.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 20, 2025
“Flom’s early specialty was proxy fights, and that was not what we did, just like we don’t do matrimonial work,” said Robert Rifkind, a longtime partner at Cravath, Swaine and Moore.
From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell
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.
