ante-nuptial agreement
- noun
- /ˈæntiˈnʌpʃəl əˈɡrimənt/
- UK
:
contrato prenupcial
- They signed an ante-nuptial agreement before their wedding.
Examples
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Some people believe an ante-nuptial agreement is a practical step for protecting assets.
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The couple spent weeks negotiating the terms of their ante-nuptial agreement.
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They hired a lawyer to draft an ante-nuptial agreement before their wedding.
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An ante-nuptial agreement can protect your assets.
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The couple signed an ante-nuptial agreement to protect their assets in case of a divorce.
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Before their wedding, they decided to create an ante-nuptial agreement outlining how to divide their property.
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Having an ante-nuptial agreement can help prevent disputes regarding finances after marriage.
Synonyms
57
5.4
An agreement people make before marriage about dividing money and property if they divorce
12
6.1
A legal contract made before marriage that says who keeps property if they divorce
5
3.6
A written agreement two people sign before they marry about money and property
1
6.4
A formal agreement before marriage about money and property rights
Surface Forms
Morphology
ante-nuptial + agreement
The meaning is directly compositional: 'ante-nuptial' literally signals 'before marriage' (ante- = before; nuptial = relating to marriage) and 'agreement' = contract, so the phrase denotes a contract made before marriage. This construction follows a transparent Latin-derived compounding pattern found across many languages, so a learner who knows the constituent parts would readily infer the overall meaning.
Etymology
Ante-nuptial agreement combines ante, which means 'before', and nuptial, which means 'marriage', so it is a written deal made 'before marriage'. That's why it means a written plan where a couple agrees who will keep money and property if their marriage ends.