antemarital
|an-te-mar-i-tal|
🇺🇸
/ˌæntiˈmærɪtəl/
🇬🇧
/ˌæntɪˈmærɪtəl/
before marriage
Etymology
'antemarital' originates from Latin: the prefix 'ante-' meaning 'before' combined with 'marital' from Latin 'maritus' meaning 'married'.
'antemarital' was formed in English by combining the Latin prefix 'ante-' with the adjective 'marital' (itself from Old French/Latin 'maritalis' from Latin 'maritus'), yielding the modern English compound 'antemarital'.
Initially, its parts meant 'before' and 'married' respectively, and the compound has retained the meaning 'before marriage'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
relating to or occurring before marriage; existing prior to marriage.
Antemarital counseling can help couples address concerns before they marry.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/08/22 04:22