What does intermarried mean?
Intermarried is the past tense and past participle of intermarry, meaning to marry one another. It is especially used when the people involved come from different families, communities, ethnic groups, or social backgrounds. The term often appears in history and sociology because intermarriage can create social ties and help bridge boundaries that once separated communities. In ordinary conversation, people may simply say “married each other,” but “intermarried” highlights the cross-family or cross-community aspect of the marriage. It can describe one event, as in “Their children intermarried with the neighboring family,” or a broader pattern, as in “The two clans intermarried for several generations.”
verbMarry each other, especially when the people involved belong to different families, communities, or social groups.
- To marry each other, especially across family, community, or social-group boundaries.
"The two villages intermarried over many generations, gradually strengthening their shared culture."
"The families intermarried after the conflict ended."
"Members of the two communities intermarried and formed lasting relationships."
“Intermarried” captures a marriage across boundaries—between families, communities, or traditions, not just between two individuals.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does intermarried come from?
The word combines the Latin prefix inter-, meaning “between” or “among,” with marry, which comes through Old French marier from Latin maritare, related to maritus, meaning “married” or “husband.” Intermarry developed in English in the context of marriage between members of different families, communities, or groups. The related noun intermarriage names the practice or arrangement of marrying across such boundaries.
Related word forms
How intermarried is actually used
The word is commonly used in historical, sociological, and cultural contexts. It can describe either a specific marriage or the general practice of marriage across social or community boundaries.
Easily confused with intermarried
“Married” describes the act or state of being united in marriage, while “intermarried” specifically means that people from different families or communities married one another.