common-law marriage

noun

1. a marriage without a civil or ecclesiastical ceremony, generally resulting from an agreement to marry followed by the couple's living together.

common-law marriage

1. A legal marriage brought about by the cohabitation of a man and a woman, or by their agreement to consider themselves married, rather than by a wedding. ( See common law .)

Word History and Origins

Origin of common-law marriage¹

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

And if people think common-law marriage is a good alternative, think again.

From Los Angeles Times

But soon after, Ambar said, officers learned that the couple were in a registered common-law marriage and that he was her daughter’s stepfather.

From Los Angeles Times

He married four times, always to dancers, and lived with a fifth in a common-law marriage.

From New York Times

The new definition contrasts with the state’s former standard, established in 1987, which suggested judges should consider several specific markers to establish a common-law marriage.

From Washington Times

The Japan Federation of Bar Associations has rejected the position, and in September, a local court became the first in Japan to recognize two people of the same sex as being in a common-law marriage.

From New York Times