Definition and pronunciation
wedded — adjective & past participle of wed: (1) married; joined in matrimony; (2) firmly attached or devoted to something (wedded to tradition).
Pronunciation: /ˈwɛdɪd/.
Easy explanation
Wedded usually means “married.” It can also mean “strongly committed,” as in “wedded to an idea.”
Part of speech and grammar
- Adjective: wedded couple; wedded life; wedded bliss.
- Verb family: to wed (present) → past wed or wedded; past participle wed or wedded; wedding (gerund/participle).
- Often used predicatively (They are wedded), or in set phrases.
Register and tone
Formal, literary, or ceremonial for the “married” sense; idiomatic in the “committed to” sense. More elevated than married in many contexts.
Connection to sexuality
Indirect. Wedded places things within marriage (e.g., wedded bliss, wedded intimacy), but it doesn’t describe sexual acts. When sex is relevant, use precise terms (e.g., intramarital sex, marital intimacy, consent).
Common collocations
wedded bliss; wedded life; wedded couple; wedded union; wedded love; wedded name; wedded to tradition/ideas/work; wedded vows
Idioms and expressions
- wedded bliss — a (sometimes playful) phrase for a happy marriage.
- wedded to — strongly attached or committed: wedded to routine.
- make you man and wife / spouse and spouse — ceremonial phrasing that precedes being wedded.
Prepositions and nuance
- wedded to (commitment): firm loyalty or inflexibility — wedded to the plan.
- wedded in (formal, ceremonial): wedded in church/civil ceremony.
- wedded with (older/literary): joined together with something — policy wedded with practice.
Prepositions shift from legal/ceremonial marriage to metaphorical commitment.
Word comparisons
- wedded vs married — near-synonyms; wedded is more formal/poetic.
- wedded vs marital/matrimonial — marital/matrimonial are adjectives about the state or law; wedded often describes the couple or a bond.
- wedded vs conjugal — conjugal leans legal/intimate-rights; wedded leans ceremonial or affectionate.
- wedded vs wedlock/nuptial — wedlock is the state of being married; nuptial relates to weddings/ceremony.
Real-life examples
- The article profiled a wedded couple running a family business.
- Officials urged flexibility instead of remaining wedded to outdated procedures.
- The poem celebrates wedded bliss after years apart.
- Her brand identity is wedded with minimalist design.
Sample sentences
- They moved into their wedded home after the ceremony.
- He’s wedded to his morning routine and won’t skip it.
- The play explores the gap between wedded bliss and everyday chores.
- The policy is too wedded to last decade’s assumptions.
- After the wedding, they felt truly wedded—legally and emotionally.
Synonyms
married, wed, united, joined, espoused, hitched (informal), devoted to, attached to, committed to
Antonyms
unmarried, single, divorced, separated, unattached, uncommitted, flexible (for “wedded to” sense)
Related terms
wed, wedding, wedlock, marital, matrimonial, conjugal, spouse, partner, prenuptial, postnuptial, intramarital, extramarital, vows, honeymoon
Notes and etiquette
Use wedded for a ceremonial or poetic tone; use married for plain, modern style. For the “wedded to” sense, make clear whether you mean admirable commitment or stubborn inflexibility.
Sexopedia.co is an educational glossary of sexual and gender-related terms—helping you improve your English while deepening your understanding of identity, language, and self-expression.