1. Definition & Meaning
- Marital rape (noun): Non‑consensual sexual intercourse or other sexual acts forced by one spouse upon the other without their consent, within a marriage.
2. Pronunciation
- IPA: /ˈmærɪtəl reɪp/
- Breakdown: MAR-i-tal rape
3. Grammatical Formation
| Part of Speech | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun phrase | marital rape | “Many countries have now criminalized marital rape.” |
Note: There is no common verb form of “marital rape”; instead one speaks of “committing” or “being convicted of marital rape.”
4. Synonyms (comma‑separated)
spousal rape, intimate partner rape
5. Antonyms (comma‑separated)
consensual sex, mutual consent, marital consent
6. Related Terms
- Marital rape exception: A former legal doctrine that exempted husbands from rape charges against their wives.
- Domestic violence: Violence or abuse between family members or intimate partners.
- Intimate partner violence (IPV): Physical, sexual, or psychological harm by a current or former partner.
- Consent: Freely given agreement to engage in an activity.
7. Common Collocations
- marital rape laws
- victims of marital rape
- to criminalize marital rape
- marital rape exception
- report marital rape
8. Idiomatic Usage & Expressions
- “Marital rape exception” – refers to the outdated legal loophole.
- “Breaking the marital rape barrier” – used figuratively to describe legal and social progress in recognizing the crime.
9. Sample Sentences
- Definition use: “She spoke out about how marital rape is still ignored in some regions.”
- Collocation: “Reformers are working to abolish the marital rape exception in the law.”
- Related term: “Marital rape is a form of intimate partner violence.”
- Idiom: “Activists celebrated when the country finally broke the marital rape barrier.”