civil union
18
3.9
- noun
- /ˈsɪvəl ˈjunɪn/
- US
:
unión civil
- To some, the idea of a civil union or domestic partnership may be enticing.
- marriage and civil union
- civil union and domestic partnership
- same-sex civil unions
Examples
-
Let marriage be a religious term, and let civil unions be the government term.
Academic text (2006) -
Together, these recent trends in public opinion suggest that future surveys will report increasing support for civil unions.
Academic text (2007) -
But he does believe in civil unions, right?
-
Some of the older ones may suggest that civil unions would be easier to sell to the country.
Blog text (11) -
A question, do you think the state should recognize same sex marriage or just same sex civil unions as something short of marriage?
-
The majority of Americans oppose DADT, support civil unions, and benefits for partners.
Blog text (11) -
If queer folk can have a civil union, that's good enough for us and our lawyers.
Blog text (4) -
Nine other states recognize certain legal rights of same-sex couples through civil unions, domestic partnerships, or reciprocal beneficiary laws.
Academic text (2011) -
In the court of public opinion, however, Americans' attitudes toward homosexuality, civil unions, and same-gender marriages are slowly crystallizing.
Academic text (2007) -
In many countries, same-sex couples can enter into a civil union to secure legal rights similar to those of marriage.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
The legal joining of two people as life partners
84
2.7
A legal partnership between two people of the same sex
17
4.1
The state of being married to another person
5
3.2
A marriage ceremony carried out by a government official rather than a religious leader
Antonyms
How Committed
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly inferable from 'civil' (relating to law/public affairs) + 'union' (a joining), so a B1 learner who knows both words can reasonably guess it denotes a legally recognized joining akin to marriage. The construction and cognates (e.g. civil union / unión civil / union civile) are common across many languages, reinforcing its transparency.
Etymology
Civil union puts together civil (the state or government) and union (a joining). One popular idea is that it pictures the government officially joining two people, so today civil union means a legal partnership similar to 'marriage'.