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.
Some states have “homestead” laws that apply to married and unmarried couples, and a small number of states allow couples to enter into common-law marriage.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 20, 2026
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
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
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 Mary Helen Fee
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