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View synonyms for wedlock

wedlock

[ wed-lok ]

noun

  1. the state of marriage; matrimony.


wedlock

/ ˈwɛdlɒk /

noun

  1. the state of being married
  2. born out of wedlock
    born when one's parents are not legally married
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


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Word History and Origins

Origin of wedlock1

before 1100; Middle English wedlok, Old English wedlāc literally, a pledging, equivalent to wed pledge ( wed ) + -lāc verbal noun suffix
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Word History and Origins

Origin of wedlock1

Old English wedlāc, from wedd pledge + -lāc, suffix denoting activity, perhaps from lāc game, battle (related to Gothic laiks dance, Old Norse leikr )
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Idioms and Phrases

see out of wedlock .
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Example Sentences

This recognized family rights when paternity is established, whether a child was born in or out of wedlock.

The results are shocking: 96 percent of babies born to African American high school dropouts are born out of wedlock.

Mother and baby homes were where young women who had conceived out of wedlock were sent to have their babies.

Accepting the conception of a child out of love—and out of wedlock.

And she was one pro-life person who repeatedly opened her home to teenage women who had become pregnant out of wedlock.

It seems to form a bond of friendship which they regard as sacred as the vows of wedlock.

Honorine de Bauvan lost her child born out of wedlock, and she always mourned it.

Take you this man to husband, you who with such calmness sought to drive others into unwilling wedlock.

When the discovery was made, the boy was born—and born out of lawful wedlock.

Women, too, whether on the street or in the holy bond of wedlock, were prone to sell their flesh.

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About This Word

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.

Where does wedlock come from?

The first records of the word wedlock come from before the 1100s. The suffix -lock is not the same lock that you open with a key or that’s found in words like gridlock or headlock. Instead the word comes from the Old English wedlāc, meaning “a pledging.” This word is based on the Old English wed, which means “pledge” and is, unsurprisingly, related to the word wedding.

Due to religious and societal beliefs that have existed throughout much of history, having children without being married has often been considered immoral—or at least a situation to be avoided. Such beliefs often lead people to criticize those who do so, resulting in the use of stigmatizing terms like born out of wedlock or illegitimate to label such children.

Similar criticisms have traditionally been issued against partners who live together outside of wedlock (sometimes called cohabiting, cohabitating, or even living in sin, all of which have negative connotations) or who engage in sexual activity outside of wedlock. In both of these cases, the phrase outside of marriage is probably more commonly used than outside of wedlock—but it carries the same critical tone.

Did you know ... ?

What are some synonyms for wedlock?

What are some words that share a root or word element with wedlock

 

What are some words that often get used in discussing wedlock?

How is wedlock used in real life?

Wedlock can be used in a neutral or positive way to refer to the state of being married, but it’s most commonly used in critical comments that refer to not being married.

 

 

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.

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