The relationship between a husband and wife is usually called a marraige. Matrimony(or wedlock) is the state of being married. A spouse is the word you use when you want to describe one partner without using gender.
There are several ways you could describe a romantic relationship between a man and wife, with most of those terms giving you a bit of context into not only the length and history of the relationship but also the seriousness of the bond between those two people.
For example, a man and woman casually connecting romantically might call themselves “involved”. If things get a little more serious they probably bump things up to “boyfriend and girlfriend”.
If things get even more serious than that – and these two people decide they’d like to spend their lives together, creating a family – they might choose to get married and become husband and wife.
What is the Relationship Between Husband and Wife Called?
When two people decide to commit themselves to one another, partnering up not only in the eyes of one another but also their family, friends, and society at large, they might choose to enter into a marriage.
Marriages (sometimes referred to as matrimony or wedlock) have traditionally been legally recognized arrangements and unions between two people.
Not only are these relationships romantic in nature, but they are very serious commitments – with rights, responsibilities, and obligations that have far-reaching consequences outside of just how these two people feel about one another.
A marriage, after all, is (quite literally) a legal contract in most cultures and societies across the world.
Marriages are recognized by the state, often by organizations and religious authorities, and by the federal government as well. A man and wife share assets, share property, and (often) become one another’s power of attorney, too.
Any children had by a husband and wife are the responsibility of those individuals. There are tax benefits, there are insurance benefits, and there’s a whole host of other trappings to a legal marriage as well.
Quick History of Marriage
While some folks might think of marriage (the relationship between a husband and wife) as a relatively modern concept, the reality is this kind of union has been recognized for literally thousands and thousands of years across all kinds of cultures worldwide.
The earliest historical example of marriages are from the Middle East, with the word “mariage” first appearing in the historical record between 1250 and 1300 BC. This specific word is believed to have roots in both Old French (the word “marier”, meaning to marry) as well as the Latin (with the word “maritare”, meaning to provide with a husband or wife).
A marriage is the foundational element to the family unit, a key piece of civilized society, and a pact between two people committing their lives to one another.
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