Definition and pronunciation
marital — adjective: relating to marriage or to a married couple.
Pronunciation: /ˈmærɪtəl/.
Easy explanation
Marital means “about marriage.” If something is marital, it connects to the married relationship—status, home, rights, duties, sex, or property.
Part of speech and grammar
- Adjective only: marital status, marital home, marital rights, marital sex.
- Often contrasts with premarital, postnuptial, extramarital, nonmarital.
- Not the same as martial (about war).
Register and tone
Neutral to formal; common in law, healthcare, forms, and counseling. Can be warm or clinical depending on context (“marital bliss” vs “marital property”).
Connection to sexuality
Indirect but real. Marital sex means sex within marriage. Laws and ethics also discuss consent (e.g., recognition of marital rape as a crime in many jurisdictions). The term itself is a neutral time/relationship label, not a moral judgment.
Common collocations
marital status; marital relationship; marital home; marital property/assets/debt; marital rights/obligations; marital privilege (spousal privilege); marital counseling/therapy; marital bond; marital discord/strife; marital bliss; marital separation.
Idioms and set phrases
- marital bliss — happily married state.
- marital bed — the couple’s intimate life (literal/figurative).
- marital vows — promises made at the wedding.
- marital privilege — legal rule limiting compelled testimony by a spouse (varies by jurisdiction).
Prepositions and nuance
- within marriage — scope: consent within the marital relationship.
- in a marital home/union — setting.
- between spouses/partners — parties involved.
- to divide marital property — result or action affecting the marriage.
Prepositions narrow the who/where; the core meaning stays “about marriage.”
Word comparisons
- marital vs matrimonial — near-synonyms; matrimonial is more formal/legal.
- marital vs conjugal — conjugal focuses on the couple’s relationship/rights (e.g., conjugal visit).
- marital vs spousal — spousal modifies things tied to the person as a spouse (spousal support).
- marital vs nuptial — nuptial is wedding-related; marital is ongoing marriage.
- marital vs premarital/extramarital/nonmarital — before marriage / outside a marriage / not occurring within marriage.
- marital vs martial — marital = marriage; martial = war/army.
Real-life examples
- Forms ask for marital status (single, married, divorced, etc.).
- Courts divide marital property differently from separate property.
- Couples try marital counseling to improve communication.
- Articles contrast marital sex and extramarital sex when discussing norms.
Sample sentences
- They sought marital counseling after months of miscommunication.
- The house was treated as marital property during the divorce.
- Policies should respect marital and nonmarital families alike.
- Despite the tabloids, their marital relationship is private.
- The survey tracked changes in attitudes toward marital sex and intimacy.
Synonyms
matrimonial, conjugal, spousal, wedded, nuptial (contextual), married (attributive)
Antonyms
nonmarital, extramarital, premarital, unmarried (attributive), single (status)
Related terms
marriage, spouse, partner, civil union, matrimony, wedding, prenuptial agreement, postnuptial agreement, marital property, spousal support, consortium, separation, divorce, annulment, cohabitation, conjugal rights
Notes and etiquette
Use marital neutrally, without assuming gender or culture. Where law or ethics are involved, be precise about jurisdiction and about consent, capacity, and equality inside the marriage.
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