marriageable
/'mæridʤbl/
Definition
Adjective: 1. Eligible for marriage: Describes a person, typically a girl or woman, who is considered suitable and of an appropriate age or status to enter into marriage according to social or cultural norms.
Usage
The adjective "marriageable" is used to describe a person's status. It is most commonly applied to young women in traditional or formal contexts, though it can apply to any gender. It often implies that the person meets the perceived social, legal, or familial criteria for marriage. - It is typically used attributively (before a noun) or predicatively (after a linking verb). - The term can carry formal or slightly old-fashioned connotations.
Examples
- Attributive use:
- Her parents began looking for a suitable match once she was of marriageable age.
- In some cultures, specific ceremonies mark a girl's transition to marriageable status.
- Predicative use:
- With his new job and stable home, he was finally considered marriageable by her family.
- She is educated and financially independent, making her highly marriageable in modern society.
Advanced Usage
- "Marriageable age": A common collocation referring to the age at which a person is legally or culturally permitted to marry.
- The law defines the marriageable age as 18 for both sexes.
- "Marriageable pool" or "marriage market": Sociological terms referring to the population of individuals considered eligible for marriage.
- The war significantly reduced the marriageable pool of young men in the region.
Variants and Related Words
- Marriageability (noun): The quality or state of being suitable for marriage.
- Her family's social standing added to her marriageability.
- To marry (verb): The action of entering into marriage.
- Nubile (adjective): Similar to "marriageable," often specifically referring to a young woman who is sexually mature or attractive. (Note: "nubile" can have stronger physical/sexual connotations than the more neutral "marriageable").
Synonyms
- Eligible (for marriage)
- Weddable (archaic)
- Suitable (in the context of marriage)
Antonyms
- Ineligible (for marriage)
- Unmarriageable
Adjective
-
of girls or women who are eligible to marry
