matrimony

/ˈmætrɪməni/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈmætrɪməʊni/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈma-trə-ˌmō-nē/ (ame, mw)

matrimony — noun

1. the condition of being a husband or wife, often used in religious or legal conte

1.名詞C1
釋義

the condition of being a husband or wife, often used in religious or legal contexts to describe a serious lifelong union.

例句

Talia and Obi entered into matrimony at a small chapel near the lake.

enter into matrimony — formal collocation for getting married

The priest spoke about the duties of matrimony before joining the young couple's hands.

duties of matrimony — typical religious/ceremonial collocation

同義詞
  • marriage

    everyday neutral term; covers the same idea but is used in any register

  • wedlock

    also formal/archaic; often appears in legal phrases such as 'born out of wedlock'

  • union

    very general; needs context to signal marriage rather than any other joining

反義詞
  • divorce

    the legal ending of a marriage rather than the state itself

  • celibacy

    the chosen unmarried state, especially for religious reasons

文法句型

holy matrimony

the bonds of matrimony

用法筆記

Almost always uncountable and confined to formal, religious, or ceremonial contexts. In everyday English, learners should reach for 'marriage' instead; 'matrimony' tends to appear in wedding vows, legal documents, and fixed phrases like 'holy matrimony' or 'the bonds of matrimony'.

常見錯誤

❌They had two matrimonies before they were thirty.
✅They had two marriages before they were thirty.
💡'matrimony' is uncountable and refers to the state, not a counted ceremony or relationship.
❌My matrimony to Christopher lasted ten years.
✅My marriage to Christopher lasted ten years.
💡for naming a specific union with a specific person, use 'marriage'.