To wed means to marry someone, to join together in marriage. When two people wed, they make a formal commitment to each other, usually in a ceremony with family and friends present. You might read in a fairy tale that “the prince and the princess wed in the castle,” or hear that your aunt and uncle wed last summer.

The word feels more formal and old-fashioned than just saying “marry” or “get married.” You're more likely to see it in written stories, formal announcements, or historical accounts than in everyday conversation. Someone might say “I'm getting married next June” rather than “I'm getting wed next June.”

Wed can also mean to unite two different things strongly together, though this meaning is less common. A chef might wed unexpected flavors in a dish, combining ingredients that wouldn't normally go together. A scientist might talk about wedding theory with practice. The word suggests bringing things together so completely that they become hard to separate.