marital
American-
of or relating to marriage; conjugal; matrimonial.
marital vows; marital discord.
-
Archaic. of or relating to a husband.
adjective
-
of or relating to marriage
marital status
-
of or relating to a husband
Other Word Forms
- maritally adverb
- nonmarital adjective
- nonmaritally adverb
- postmarital adjective
Etymology
Origin of marital
1595–1605; < Latin marītālis of married people, derivative of marītus of marriage. See marry 1, -al 1
Explanation
Use the adjective marital to describe something that relates to a marriage. You may envy the marital contentment of spouses who communicate well with each other. When you pronounce marital, put the accent on the first syllable and use the short i sound: "MAR i tul." Now you're ready to ask people, "What is your marital status?" They'll answer that they're single or married, or possibly engaged, widowed, divorced, or living as unmarried partners. Marital comes from Latin: maritalis, meaning "of or belonging to married people," and maritus, meaning "husband."
Vocabulary lists containing marital
100 SAT Words Beginning with "M"
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Commonly Confused Words, List 2
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Vocabulary for the Naturalization Interview
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
North Carolina, where the Ammels lived, is one of just a handful of states with a “homewrecker law” that allows a jilted spouse to sue a third party for damages for a marital breakup.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 18, 2026
It seems as if her parents were perpetually fighting their own marital war of attrition, eventually divorcing in the 1970s after their children had all moved out.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026
She adds it has a life of its own now, especially for those facing marital strife.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 31, 2026
"My marriage had collapsed and I was leaving my marital home. I thought the band must be part of someone else's wedding procession. I was really surprised when I discovered that it was for me."
From BBC • Mar. 7, 2026
Through his parents’ various marital split-ups, he’d moved repeatedly from one remote and inhospitable town to another, learning to negotiate a series of stepparents along the way.
From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz
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.
