wedlock

/ˈwedlɒk/ (bre, ipa) · [wˈɛdlˌɑk] /ˈwedlɑːk/ (ame, ipa) · [wˈɛdlˌɑk] /ˈwed-ˌläk How to pronounce wedlock (audio)/ (ame, mw)

wedlock — noun

1. the condition of being joined to someone in a formal marriage relationship, view

1.名詞B2
釋義

the condition of being joined to someone in a formal marriage relationship, viewed as a legal or social status

例句

After fifty years of wedlock, Soraya and her husband celebrated with a large family gathering.

Jiwoo's grandparents lived in wedlock for over six decades before Jiwoo's grandfather passed away.

collocation: lived in wedlock

同義詞
  • marriage

    the everyday term for the state or institution; less formal than wedlock

  • matrimony

    more formal and often religious in tone

  • holy matrimony

    specifically refers to marriage as a religious sacrament

反義詞
  • divorce

    the legal end of a marriage; opposite state

文法句型

uncountable, no article

用法筆記

Formal or old-fashioned term, common in legal language and fixed phrases such as 'born in wedlock' and 'born out of wedlock.' In everyday conversation, 'marriage' is the usual choice.

常見錯誤

❌They invited everyone to their wedlock.
✅They invited everyone to their wedding.
💡'wedlock' means the state of being married, not the ceremony.
❌They have a happy wedlock.
✅They have a happy marriage.
💡'wedlock' is rarely used in modern spoken English to describe someone's relationship; 'marriage' sounds natural.