Meaning & use
out of wedlock
Describing a child born to parents who are not married to each other.
See it in a sentence
Attitudes toward children born out of wedlock have changed considerably over the past century.
She raised her son out of wedlock at a time when society judged single mothers harshly.
A note on using this word
Once a common legal term, it is now used more neutrally or historically, as many contexts avoid the harsher word illegitimate.
Words with a similar meaning
illegitimate
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
legitimate
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