wedding

[wed-ing]

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

/ 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of wedding¹

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

Idioms and Phrases

see shotgun wedding.

Synonym Study

See marriage.

Example Sentences

On Saturdays, people often flock to buy wedding outfits, tableware or sweets.

Read more on Barron's

The media wrote about the resistance from Malini's family to their wedding, but the couple finally tied the knot in 1980.

Read more on BBC

Some travel to away days together, attend each other's weddings and become lifelong friends.

Read more on BBC

A book on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's wedding was among the gifts accepted over the previous three years.

Read more on BBC

The youngest of four children, she was teased by her siblings for remembering family events for what they ate—like the baked salmon at a wedding or mom’s pizza.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• marriage