marriage lite
A somewhat dismissive informal US term for civil unions, domestic partnerships, or cohabitation arrangements that share some legal features of marriage without full marital status.
Definitions
A somewhat dismissive informal US term for civil unions, domestic partnerships, or cohabitation arrangements that share some legal features of marriage without full marital status. The 'lite' suffix implies a reduced or lesser version. The term has been used both critically -- by those who see civil unions as inadequate substitutes -- and disparagingly by opponents of marriage equality. The term fell largely out of use after full marriage equality was achieved.
Activists argued that marriage lite was not an acceptable substitute for full legal recognition.
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An informal American term for civil union or domestic partnership — the legal arrangements that existed before same-sex marriage was legalized nationwide, offering some but not all the rights of marriage. The phrase was sometimes used dismissively by those who felt these arrangements fell short, and sometimes practically by couples navigating what options were available to them. Post-2015 (Obergefell v. Hodges), the term has mostly faded from active use.
They settled for a marriage lite arrangement until full marriage equality came through.
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(US, informal) cohabitation, civil union.
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(US, informal) gay marriage.
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