wedding

American  

[wed-ing] / ˈwɛd ɪŋ /

noun

1. the act or ceremony of marrying; marriage; nuptials.

2. the anniversary of a marriage, or its celebration.

   They invited guests to their silver wedding.

3. the act or an instance of blending or joining, especially opposite or contrasting elements.

   a perfect wedding of conservatism and liberalism.

4. Business Slang. a merger.

---

adjective

1. of or relating to a wedding.

   the wedding ceremony; a wedding dress.

wedding British  

/ ˈwɛdɪŋ /

noun

1. 1. the act of marrying or the celebration of a marriage

   2. ( as modifier )

      wedding day

2. the anniversary of a marriage (in such combinations as silver wedding or diamond wedding )

3. the combination or blending of two separate elements

---

wedding Idioms  

1. see shotgun wedding.

---

Related Words

See marriage.

Etymology

Origin of wedding

First recorded before 900; Middle English “matrimony, wedlock, marriage,” Old English weddung “betrothal”; wed, -ing ¹

Example Sentences

A centrepiece of the prosecution case concerned the mysterious reappearance of Arlene's gold eternity ring, diamond and gold wedding ring, and a sapphire engagement ring.

From BBC

The wedding was rushed, with only one sister in attendance.

From MarketWatch

He and his brother Matthew died in a cycling accident in August 2024, hours before their sister’s wedding.

From Salon

There are no significant jubilees, no royal weddings, no major events on the scale we saw in the final years of Queen Elizabeth II's reign.

From BBC

By age 13, Colón had started a band and played at some weddings and in the bustling nightclubs of New York City.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• marriage