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.
Many people wrongly believe co-habiting couples have automatic legal and inheritance rights under "common-law marriage", says Alastair Sinclair, family lawyer at Setfords.
From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026
And if people think common-law marriage is a good alternative, think again.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 24, 2024
No, because the federal government does not recognize common-law marriage either.
From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2022
Mrs. Fox jokes that if common-law marriage were recognized in New York, she would have been the common-law wife of a good friend, Nate, who lived at the house from 2005 until 2013.
From New York Times ● Apr. 9, 2015
The "common-law" marriage, by the way, is not, so far as I can determine, the English common law, nor ever was.
From Popular Law-making by Frederic Jesup Stimson
