- 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
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( 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:
While they chase AVP and Olympic wins, the couple also are planning a wedding after Schalk surprised Rodriguez with a bold question early in their relationship.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
Jade Fenton, 32, said her nan lost her home and nearly all her belongings, including hearing aids, jewellery, a wedding ring and other memories of her late husband.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
A couple tied the knot in a thrifty-themed wedding with the bride dazzling in a £2 charity shop wedding dress.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
Music festivals including Bonnaroo, Riot Fest and the Electric Daisy Carnival are now selling wedding packages.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
On November 2, 1858, her wedding to insurance executive Daniel Underhill took place in the Greeleys’ town-home parlor.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
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 resort also sells day passes for $38 and hosts many weddings and special events.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
The mass weddings have continued under subsequent governors, with numbers expanding each year as demand has grown and included those in polygamous Muslim marriages.
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026
Gerami’s Instagram feed shows him leading traditional weddings, bar mitzvahs and other Jewish ceremonies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
At weddings he still asked me to dance, regardless of how ridiculous we looked together.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
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.
