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
Only eight states recognize common-law marriage, and California is not one of them.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 24, 2024
He married four times, always to dancers, and lived with a fifth in a common-law marriage.
From New York Times ● Oct. 31, 2022
Lawmakers here are considering a bill that would dub the ukulele the official state instrument, a designation that seems in some ways like a formal ceremony for a common-law marriage.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 13, 2014
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
