- present participle of wed.
wedding
Americannoun
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weddings
plural
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the anniversary of a marriage, or its celebration.
They invited guests to their silver wedding.
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the act or an instance of blending or joining, especially opposite or contrasting elements.
a perfect wedding of conservatism and liberalism.
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Business Slang. a merger.
adjective
noun
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the act of marrying or the celebration of a marriage
-
( as modifier )
wedding day
-
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the anniversary of a marriage (in such combinations as silver wedding or diamond wedding )
-
the combination or blending of two separate elements
Synonym Usage
See marriage.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of wedding
First recorded before 900; Middle English “matrimony, wedlock, marriage,” Old English weddung “betrothal”; see origin at wed, -ing 1
Explanation
A wedding is a celebration or ceremony of marriage. Besides being a formal way to mark the union of two people, weddings can be a lot of fun too. The earliest meaning of wedding was simply "the state of being married," but by the early 1400s it meant the ceremony or rite at the very beginning of a marriage. A wedding can be a simple civil ceremony at City Hall or an elaborate event that takes place over several days and involves religious rituals, food and drink, and hundreds of guests. As an adjective, wedding describes anything related to the ceremony, like wedding cakes and wedding dresses.
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.
See Examples For:
After his 2018 fairytale Windsor Castle wedding -- watched around the world -- he and Meghan were touted as future monarchy rejuvenators, branded the "fab four" alongside William and Kate.
From Barron's ● Aug. 23, 2026
“This niche does so well,” McGowan said of wedding content, which before filling social media feeds had filled many an entire magazine.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026
The bigger a bride’s following, the more lucrative their wedding can be.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026
Our car had been set to Hurry, and it did just that—sweeping past interstate traffic on the left and right as if I were late for my wedding.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026
Three months later, at our wedding, that was the first song we danced to.
From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman
In Las Vegas, the Electric Daisy Carnival has two chapels for weddings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
Mala Wangzi has opened pop-up museums around the country, held more than 4,000 latiao-themed weddings for superfan couples, and sponsored e-sport events, music festivals, and animation conventions.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
The trend started with impromptu weddings, but has since gone official.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
The resort also sells day passes for $38 and hosts many weddings and special events.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
It was a year like so many others, with its spring, its engagements, its weddings, and its births.
From "Night" by Elie Wiesel
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.
