intermarry
A2Pronunciation
UK
- /ˌɪntəmˈæri/
US
- /ˌɪntərˈmæri/
Description
- Marry across groups
- unite different backgrounds
- connect communities
- bridge cultures
- blend traditions
Imagine two neighboring villages, each with its own traditions and way of life. When people from these villages begin to marry into each other's communities, it starts to build trust and break down old barriers. It is more than a set of individual love stories; it is about families becoming connected across groups that once stayed apart.
Historically, the term often referred to marriages between people of different religions or ethnic groups. However, it can also describe marriages across social class or regional lines. A classic example is royal families marrying into other kingdoms to build alliances and keep peace. It is one way cultures mix and change, though this can also bring social tension.
To intermarry means to marry someone from a different group, especially a group defined by religion, ethnicity, race, nationality, or social class. The word can describe one marriage, but it is also often used for a wider pattern in which members of different communities marry each other over time.
The word often appears in discussions of social change, family history, and cultural contact. For example, historians may study how settlers and local populations married across community lines and how that changed both groups over time. In modern use, it can describe a trend in society, where people from different backgrounds form families together and create more mixed communities.
It is also worth noting that the word has sometimes been used in tense or prejudiced discussions about identity and social order. Today, it is usually used in a neutral, descriptive way. When you hear about people intermarrying, the idea is not only that two individuals married, but that families, customs, and communities are becoming more closely linked.
Examples
- 1
Neighboring villages
In that region, people from neighboring villages often intermarried.
- 2
Communities
The two communities lived side by side for years before they began to intermarry.
- 3
Religious expectations
Some families expected their children to intermarry within the same religion.
- 4
Powerful families
Members of the old ruling families often intermarried with other powerful families.
- 5
Family relations
After several generations, the families had intermarried so much that everyone seemed to be related.
Forms and spellings
4 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- intermarryverb
Forms
- intermarriedpast tenseverb
- intermarrying-ing formverb
- intermarriesverb