Married means legally joined to another person as spouses in a marriage. When two people get married, they make a formal commitment to share their lives together, which is recognized by the government and usually celebrated with family and friends at a wedding ceremony.

Marriage creates a new family unit. Married couples often live together, make important decisions as a team, and support each other through challenges and celebrations. In most places, marriage also comes with legal responsibilities and benefits, like being able to make medical decisions for each other or filing taxes together.

The word can describe the state of being in a marriage: “My parents have been married for fifteen years.” It can also describe the ceremony itself, as when someone says, “They got married last summer.”

People also use married figuratively to describe being deeply committed to something: a scientist might be “married to her research,” meaning she's completely devoted to it. When two ideas fit together perfectly, you might say they're “married” to each other.

Throughout history and across cultures, marriage has been one of the most important social institutions, though customs and laws about who can marry have varied greatly and continue to evolve.