levirate
Noun: 1. A custom or law in certain societies: A levirate is a specific type of marriage custom where a man is obliged to marry the widow of his deceased brother, particularly if the brother died without having children. The primary historical purpose was to produce an heir for the deceased brother, thereby continuing his lineage and name.
The term is used in anthropological, historical, and religious studies to describe this specific cultural practice. * It functions as a noun, typically in singular form (the levirate). * It is often used with the definite article "the" when referring to the custom as an institution (e.g., "the practice of the levirate"). * It can be used attributively as a noun modifier (e.g., "levirate marriage," "levirate custom").
- Anthropological Context:
- Historical/Biblical Context:
- Descriptive Use:
- The term is almost exclusively used in academic or descriptive discussions of specific cultures (e.g., ancient Hebrew, some traditional African and Central Asian societies). It is not used in contemporary legal or common social contexts in the English-speaking world.
- The related adjective is leviratic or leviratical, though these are rare.
- Leviratic / Leviratical (adj): Pertaining to or of the nature of a levirate.
- The leviratical duty fell upon the younger brother.
- Levir (n, archaic): The brother-in-law who performs the duty of a levirate marriage.
- Widow inheritance: A broader, more general term for customs where a widow is married by a relative of her deceased husband, not necessarily limited to a brother.
- Note: There is no perfect single-word synonym in common English; "levirate" is the precise technical term.
- There is no direct antonym for this specific cultural institution. Concepts like monogamy or autonomous marriage represent different, but not directly opposite, social structures.
The core meaning of "levirate" is inextricably linked to the specific duty of a brother to marry his brother's widow to produce an heir. It is not a general term for any remarriage of a widow. The practice is historically associated with patriarchal societies where lineage and property rights were traced through male heirs.
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the biblical institution whereby a man must marry the widow of his childless brother in order to maintain the brother's line
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