What does unmarry mean?
Unmarry is a verb meaning to end a marriage, especially by divorce. It may be used transitively, as in “unmarry a spouse,” or intransitively, as when a couple says they are separating and divorcing. The word is considerably less common than divorce, and its transparent un- prefix gives it a slightly formal or literary quality. In ordinary legal usage, unmarry refers to the dissolution of an existing marriage rather than annulment, which treats the marriage as never having been valid. The verb can describe either the action of one spouse or the decision of two people to end their relationship. Although it is not the usual term in everyday conversation, it is useful when the reversal or undoing of marriage is itself the focus. Its construction also makes it readily distinguishable from marry: the prefix changes the act into its opposite, while married and unmarried describe a person's marital status rather than the act of ending a marriage.
verbTo end a marriage by divorce, either by divorcing one's spouse or by ceasing to be married oneself.
- To divorce one's spouse.
- To cease to be married; to end one's marriage.
"After years of separation, the couple decided to unmarry."
"After years of separation, the couple decided to unmarry."
"Under the old statute, a spouse could petition to unmarry the other."
To unmarry is to reverse the act of marrying—making the prefix do unusually heavy legal lifting.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does unmarry come from?
The verb was formed in English by adding the productive prefix un- to marry, with the sense of reversing or undoing the marriage. Marry comes through Old French marrier and ultimately from Latin maritare. Related English forms such as marriage, marital, and matrimonial preserve the same Latin root, although unmarry was formed directly within English rather than borrowed as a Latin compound.
Related word forms
How unmarry is actually used
Unmarry is relatively uncommon and has a more formal or literary tone than divorce. It normally means the dissolution of an existing marriage, not annulment, which declares a marriage invalid from the beginning.
Easily confused with unmarry
To marry is to become legally or ritually joined as spouses; to unmarry is to end an existing marriage.
Unmarried is an adjective describing someone who has no spouse, whereas unmarry is a verb describing the act of ending a marriage.