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Glite Dictionary
to lead to the altar

to lead to the altar

1 6.7
To marry someone in a formal wedding ceremony
  • idiom
translation icon : llevar al altar
  • Then one day, I will be rich enough to lead Rosa to the altar.

Examples

  • The couple had been together for a long time and were excited to lead each other to the altar next spring.

  • Is my lovely little Carrie to be led to the altar like some sacrificial virgin just to restore respectability to the Watson family?

    Fiction book (1990)

  • Finally he succeeded... and he would soon return to lead Rosa to the altar.

    The House of the Spirits (1993)

  • To be led to the altar by Donna mantin."

    Star of Midnight (1935)

  • With all my heart, I wish that all the nations of the earth would take 'Miss Peace' by the hand, lead her to the altar, and be sealed to her for time and all eternity.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • After dating for several years, he finally decided to lead his girlfriend to the altar.

  • She dreamt of the day when her partner would lead her to the altar in a beautiful ceremony.

Synonyms

to engage
vsto lead to the altar
  • Archaic
252 9.9

To arrange someone's marriage

is the current phrase covering arranging or personally entering a serious union
to marry off
vsto lead to the altar
14 5.1

To arrange for someone, often by their family, to have a husband or wife

is broader, meaning either causing or personally entering a serious formal union
to betroth
vsto lead to the altar
  • Archaic
11 9.6

To promise two people will marry each other in the future

is focused on solemn commitment rather than only the act of arranging
to handfast
vsto lead to the altar
  • Archaic
9.9

To promise to marry in a simple old ceremony

is wider, applying to arranging or entering a serious union beyond ceremony

Antonyms

divorce
963 2.9

An official ending of a marriage by a court

to break up
  • Informal
678 2.6

End a relationship with someone, for example a romantic or business partner

How Committed

to lead to the altar
1 6.7
to live together
  • NSFW
230 2.7
to date
∞ 1.3

Surface Forms

lead to the altar infinitive
leading to the altar present participle
leads to the altar third person singular
led to the altar past
led to the altar past participle

Morphology

lead + to + the + altar

The meaning 'to marry someone' is directly and compositionally derivable from 'lead' (to guide or bring) + 'to the altar' (the place in a church associated with wedding ceremonies); a B1 learner who knows these words and the cultural practice of marrying at an altar can infer the sense. This construction is a transparent, literal depiction of accompanying someone to the wedding location and is cross-linguistically common, so it should be understandable without prior exposure.

Etymology

Lead to the altar comes from the image of one person taking their partner and walking them to the church altar, the place where vows are said. So, the verb lead shows the action and the phrase now means 'to marry' or 'to arrange for someone to get married'.