wedlock
/ˈwɛdlɒk
/noun [mass noun]
The state of being married.He's 22 next month and already they're shoving him up the aisle into wedlock....
- Their results provide strong indications that policymakers who are promoting wedlock are indeed serving the public well.
- For, wedlock these days is determined not by the heart but by one's ‘fortunes’.
Synonyms
marriage, matrimony, holy matrimony, married state, union, conjugal bond
Phrases
born in (or out of) wedlock
Origin
Late Old English wedlāc 'marriage vow', from wed 'pledge' (related to wed) + the suffix -lāc (denoting action).