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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Eve and Maximillion have been married for over a decade, having tied the knot in 2014. Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 25 Feb. 2025 Michael was previously married to Dina Lohan from 1985 to 2007. Toria Sheffield, People.com, 24 Feb. 2025 In 1963, after marrying George McCrae, the couple, who were living in West Palm Beach then, formed a musical duo that caught Reid’s ears. Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 24 Feb. 2025 And not just because the Dame of the British Empire and acting icon has been married for 28 years to director Taylor Hackford. Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, 24 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for marry

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

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Cite this Entry

“Marry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/marry. Accessed 28 Feb. 2025.

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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