marital status
2 synonyms for marital status, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — A person's legal position with regard to marriage, recorded on official forms as single, married, in a civil partnership, separated, divorced or widowed.
Synonyms
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
civil status
conjugal status
How to use marital status
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
change of marital status
declare your marital status
marital status discrimination
Formal and bureaucratic; belongs to forms, censuses, tax returns and employment law rather than conversation.
Etymology
From Latin maritalis 'of marriage', from maritus 'husband', plus status 'condition, standing'.
Full origin of marital status →Frequently asked questions
What are the options for marital status?
The usual categories on official forms are single, married, in a civil partnership, separated, divorced and widowed. Some forms add "never married" or "domestic partnership" depending on the country.
What marital status do I put if I live with my partner but am not married?
Legally you are still single unless you have registered a civil partnership. Some forms offer "cohabiting" or "domestic partnership" as a separate option, but this does not change your legal marital status.
What is the difference between marital status and civil status?
They largely overlap. "Civil status" is the broader term used in many legal systems and can cover nationality and parentage as well; "marital status" refers only to whether a person is or has been married.
