LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
English → Latin

“marriage” in Latin

The English word marriage itself goes back to Latin mās, through marītō.

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

marriage
conjugium (union of man and wife, general term; also, of animals): matrimonium (relation subsisting between man and wife): nuptiae (lawful union of a male and female citizen of equal rank, so called because at this alone the veiling of the bride (nubere) took place): connubium (PROP., the possibility or right of marriage; partly absolute, grounded on age, liberty, etc.; partly relative, with reference to privilege, etc.; hence, by metonymy, civil marriage itself; i. q., nuptiae): concubinatus (union of parties whose marriage was not considered valid; as of a senator and a freedwoman. The woman who lived in such marriage was called concubina): contubernium (primarily, union of a male and female slave, who among the ancients could not contract marriage, strictly so called; then of a free man with a female slave or freed-woman. The slave who lived in such an estate was called contubernalis). ☞ Among the Romans the various forms of marriage were (a) coemtio, effected by a kind of formal sale and purchase (mancipatio); (b) usus, when a woman lived a year with a man as her husband; (c) confarreatio, with sacred rites, at which bread made from far was used. A lawful marriage, conjugium legitimum; matrimonium justum or legitimum; nuptiae justae or legitimes: an unequal marriage, impares nuptiae: to enter upon the marriage state, in matrimonium ire; matrimonium contrahere: to ask in marriage, sibi aliquem or aliquam in matrimonium petere: also simply, petere aliquem or aliquam: to give one’s daughter in marriage to anyone, alicui filiam in matrimonium dare or nuptum dare; alicui filiam collocare or nuptum locare: to ask one for his daughter, etc., in marriage, filiam, etc., conditionem alicui deferre (Suet., Caes., 27): to promise marriage to anyone, alicui polliceri matrimonium suum; alicui conjugium suum promittere (poetical): a second marriage, matrimonium novum (☞ Liv., 1, 46, extr.), conjugium novum (poetical): to enter upon a second marriage, ad secundas nuptias transire, venire, pervenire; secundo nubere (of a woman): to refrain from a second marriage, abstinere a secundis nuptiis: children by the first marriage, liberi ex priore matrimonio suscepti or procreati: by the second marriage, liberi ex secundo matrimonio suscepti: of or belonging to marriage, conjugialis (poetical) or conjugalis; matrimonialis (late): a clandestine marriage, nuptiae clandestinae (Plaut., Cas., 5, 3, 16); nuptiae sine testibus et patre non consentiente factae (Apul., Met., 6): to contract a clandestine marriage, clam nuptias facere cum aliquo (Vid: Plaut., Cas., 2, 8, 53): promise of marriage, conjugium promissum (after Ov., Her., 21, 139): to give a promise of marriage, alicui matrimonium suum polliceri; alicui conjugium suum promittere (poetical); formally, dextra data fidem futuri matrimonii sancire (after Liv., 1, extr.): law concerning marriage, lex de maritandis ordinibus (Suet., Oct., 34); lex marita (Hor., Carm., Saec., 20: with the Romans it was lex Julia et Pappia Poppaea): a certificate of marriage, litterae conjugii legitimi testes.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for marriage?
The usual Latin words for “marriage” are coniugium, mātrimōnium, nū̆ptiae; also cōnū̆bium, concubīnātus, contubernium. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.