What does wedlock mean?
Wedlock is a formal word for the state of being married or for marriage itself. Its language suggests a union formed by commitment and treated as binding, so it often appears in legal, religious, historical, or literary contexts. In modern legal language, the familiar expression “born out of wedlock” refers to a child born to parents who were not married at the time. In general conversation, speakers usually prefer the simpler and more neutral word marriage. Wedlock can also evoke traditional or ceremonial ideas of vows and lifelong partnership. The word’s unusual history gives it additional resonance: it originally combined an Old English term for a pledge with another for an agreement or bargain. It is therefore especially useful when the emphasis is not merely on being married but on the solemn, contractual character of marriage.
nounThe state of being married, or marriage regarded as a binding union. The word is chiefly formal, literary, or legal in tone.
- The state of being married.
- A marriage regarded as a binding covenant or ceremonial union, especially in formal, religious, or archaic usage.
"The ceremony united them in wedlock."
"The ceremony united them in wedlock."
"The court considered the circumstances under which the child had been born outside wedlock."
Wedlock generally names the state of marriage rather than a countable entity, so plural forms are uncommon.
"Their marriage remained in wedlock for more than fifty years."
Wedlock literally joined a pledge to a bargain: its two Old English elements convey the ideas of commitment and contract.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does wedlock come from?
Wedlock comes from Old English wēdlāc, formed from wēd, meaning a pledge or covenant, and lāc, meaning an agreement or bargain. The Middle English form wedlok developed from this compound and originally referred to the state of being bound by a marital pledge. Its modern meanings reflect both the contract-like idea in its components and its historical association with marriage as a binding institution.
How wedlock is actually used
More common in legal, religious, historical, and literary prose than in everyday conversation. It can sound ceremonial or archaic, while marriage is the usual neutral modern term.
Easily confused with wedlock
Wedlock means marriage, whereas a deadlock is a situation in which progress or agreement is blocked.