wedlock
Americannoun
noun
-
the state of being married
-
born when one's parents are not legally married
Usage
What does wedlock mean? Wedlock is the state of being married.The term is rarely used by itself simply to refer to the state of marriage other than in very formal religious contexts.Instead, wedlock is most commonly used in criticism of the actions of couples who are not married, most especially in the phrase born out of wedlock—meaning born when one's parents are not legally married.This phrase and the beliefs and criticisms that go with it are often themselves criticized for stigmatizing children and their parents when those parents are not married or were not married at the time of the birth.Other instances of the use of the word wedlock also involve criticism of actions taken by partners who are not married, such as living together or engaging in sexual activity out of wedlock.
Etymology
Origin of wedlock
before 1100; Middle English wedlok, Old English wedlāc literally, a pledging, equivalent to wed pledge ( wed ) + -lāc verbal noun suffix
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.
It simply did not matter whether one was born white or black, male or female, Jew or Gentile, in wedlock or out, eldest or youngest, or born to citizen parents or alien parents.
From The Wall Street Journal • Sep. 4, 2025
Maternity homes were popular before Roe as a place where usually teen mothers went to secretly have babies that were conceived out of wedlock.
From Slate • Jun. 24, 2025
A small-town kid born out of wedlock, he moved from the rustic countryside of Vinci, 30 miles west of Florence, to the sophisticated city to make his way.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 18, 2024
Catherine gave birth in an orphanage in Dublin and, because of attitudes at the time about children born out of wedlock, she was coerced into giving Gladys up for adoption.
From BBC • Sep. 20, 2024
In 1901 they had a child out of wedlock, a daughter, who was discreetly put up for adoption.
From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson
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.
