common-law marriage

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He married four times, always to dancers, and lived with a fifth in a common-law marriage.

From New York Times • Oct. 31, 2022

Balandina and Vasyliv are a longtime couple with two children who had already had a common-law marriage before Monday’s civil ceremony at the Lviv Surgery Center.

From Los Angeles Times • May 3, 2022

Murray said the bad blood is rooted in a common-law marriage between his sister and Sottile’s brother.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 12, 2017

Knight, a confederate army deserter, was in a common-law marriage with a former slave.

From The Guardian • Dec. 29, 2015

The common people seldom marry except, as we would term it, by the common-law marriage.

From A Woman's Impression of the Philippines by Fee, Mary Helen