marry

1 of 2

verb

mar·​ry ˈmer-ē How to pronounce marry (audio)
ˈma-rē
married; marrying; marries

transitive verb

1
a
: to join in marriage according to law or custom
b
: to find a marriage partner for (someone, especially one's child)
They married their son to the daughter of a close friend.
trying to marry their children off
c
: to take as spouse : wed
married the girl next door
d
: to perform the ceremony of marriage for
a priest will marry them
e
: to obtain by marriage
marry wealth
2
: to unite in close and usually permanent relation

intransitive verb

1
: to take a spouse : wed
He first married at twenty.
2
: combine, unite
seafood marries with other flavors

marry

2 of 2

interjection

archaic
used for emphasis and especially to express amused or surprised agreement
Phrases
marry into
: to become a member of by marriage
married into a prominent family

Examples of marry in a Sentence

Verb He married his college sweetheart. I asked her to marry me. “Will you marry me?” “Yes, I will.” They married for love, not money. The minister has married more than 100 couples. They hope to have a priest marry them. They were married by a justice of the peace.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
But which season 6 cast members successfully got married, and who left with their hearts broken? Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 6 Mar. 2024 Just after high school graduation, Evans married a military man, which led to two decades of adventure and lots of moves. Virginia Brown, Charlotte Observer, 6 Mar. 2024 This may sound odd: A couple married for more than 30 years doesn’t travel together? Susan Vollenweider, Kansas City Star, 6 Mar. 2024 Bill Clinton was inaugurated in January 1993, ending 12 years of Republican dominance of the executive branch, while ushering a brand of centrism that married social progressivism with economic boosterism. Brent Lang, Variety, 6 Mar. 2024 In January 1939, Lilly — by then living in Munich — married Otto Neubauer, a prominent doctor who had been forced by the Nazis to give up his position as head physician at a Munich teaching hospital. Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2024 His success politically was coupled with his five daughters marrying and expanding their families. Detroit Free Press, 4 Mar. 2024 At first, Barbara Guggenheim wasn’t going to make a fuss about her wedding: Guggenheim, 77, married her now husband Alan Patricof, 89, in an intimate ceremony at her Park Avenue apartment in Manhattan in December of 2023. Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 4 Mar. 2024 John had his children with three different partners In 1957, John married his first wife Susan Adams. Rebecca Aizin, Peoplemag, 23 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'marry.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English marien, from Anglo-French marier, from Latin maritare, from maritus married

Interjection

Middle English marie, from Marie, the Virgin Mary

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Interjection

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of marry was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near marry

Cite this Entry

“Marry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/marry. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

marry

1 of 2 verb
mar·​ry ˈmar-ē How to pronounce marry (audio)
married; marrying
1
: to join in marriage according to law or custom
they were married by a priest
2
: to give in marriage
married their children off
3
: to take as husband or wife
married a singer
4
: to enter into a marriage relationship : wed
decided to marry
5
: to enter into a close union
working long hours, she is married to her job

marry

2 of 2 interjection
archaic
used to express amused or surprised agreement
Etymology

Verb

Middle English marien "to marry," from early French marier (same meaning), derived from Latin maritus "married"

Interjection

Middle English marie, an interjection, from Marie "the Virgin Mary"

More from Merriam-Webster on marry

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