婚姻|こんいんkon'in[0]heiban (flat)

1. noun, suru verb, intransitive verb, lawmarriage; matrimony

• Synonym結婚けっこんNeutralThe most widely used word for getting married, as in 「結婚式」. 「婚姻」 is more written, appearing mainly in legal and institutional contexts like 「婚姻届」.
• Synonym成婚せいこんFormalFormal, for a marriage being concluded; often honorific, as in 「ご成婚」. 「婚姻」 refers to becoming a couple or the marital relationship.
• SynonymマリッジCasualA loanword for marriage, common in commercial contexts like 「マリッジリング」. 「婚姻」 is a Sino-Japanese word with a more written flavour.
• Related縁組えんぐみWrittenWritten/formal prose for forming a family tie, whether by marriage or adoption, as in 「養子縁組」. 「婚姻」 covers only the husband-and-wife relationship.
• Related嫁入りよめいりNeutralA woman marrying into the man's family; carries a traditional sense of joining the husband's household. 「婚姻」 is gender-neutral and refers to becoming a couple itself.
• Related婚儀こんぎFormalA formal word for the wedding ceremony. 「婚姻」 refers to the marital relationship itself, not the ceremony.
• Related婚礼こんれいNeutralThe wedding ceremony, as in 「婚礼衣装」. 「婚姻」 refers to the marital relationship, not the event.
• Related嫁ぐとつぐWrittenA written/formal verb for a woman to marry. 「婚姻」 is a noun for the state of becoming a couple.
• Related妻帯さいたいFormalFormal, and only about a man taking a wife, as in 「妻帯者」. 「婚姻」 applies regardless of gender.
• RelatedブライダルCasualA loanword for wedding-related matters and services, as in 「ブライダル業界」. 「婚姻」 means becoming a couple itself.
• Related縁結びえんむすびNeutralMatchmaking or a fated bond between two people, as in 「縁結びの神」. 「婚姻」 is the state of becoming a couple itself.
• RelatedウェディングCasualA loanword for the wedding, as in 「ウェディングドレス」. 「婚姻」 means becoming a couple or the marital relationship, never the ceremony.
• Related輿入れこしいれWrittenWritten/formal prose, old-fashioned: a woman marrying into her husband's family, or the bridal procession. 「婚姻」 is gender-neutral, for becoming a couple.
• Related縁付きえんづきWrittenWritten/formal prose for a woman marrying into her husband's family. 「婚姻」 is gender-neutral and covers becoming a couple or the marital relationship.
• Related祝言しゅうげんWrittenWritten/formal prose for a traditional wedding celebration, as in 「祝言を挙げる」. 「婚姻」 refers to becoming a couple or the marital relationship.
• Related嫁入るよめいるWrittenA written/formal verb for a woman marrying into the man's family. 「婚姻」 is a noun.
• Related嫁するかするWrittenA written/formal verb: for a woman to wed, or to shift blame onto someone, as in 「責任を嫁する」. 「婚姻」 is a noun.
• Related一緒になるいっしょになるCasualA colloquial, idiomatic phrase for getting married and becoming a couple. 「婚姻」 is a Sino-Japanese noun with a written, institutional feel.
• Related結ばれるむすばれるNeutralA verb for two lovers finally united in marriage, as in 「二人は結ばれた」; carries emotional colour. 「婚姻」 is objective and written.
• Antonym離婚りこんNeutralDivorce; it stands opposite to 「婚姻」 as the dissolving of the bond rather than its formation.
• Antonym独身どくしんNeutralHaving no spouse: never married, or single after divorce or bereavement. The opposite of 「婚姻」 in terms of whether one has a spouse.

Use 「婚姻」 for the husband-and-wife relationship itself, especially in legal and written contexts like 「婚姻届」 and 「婚姻生活」. For everyday talk about getting married, 「結婚」 is the default. For the ceremony, use 「婚礼」 or 「ウェディング」; for a woman marrying into a family, 「嫁入り」 or 「嫁ぐ」. Many of the others are formal or written terms for specific angles — the ceremony, the bride's or the groom's side, or matchmaking. The opposites are 「離婚」 and 「独身」.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. 夫婦ふうふとなること。