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Glite Dictionary
morganatic

morganatic

1 9.9
A marriage where a royal's lower-ranked partner and children do not get titles and property
  • adjective
  • /ˌmɔrɡəˈnætɪk/
  • Formal
translation icon : morganático
  • Many royal families still recognize the concept of morganatic marriages, where the lower-ranked spouse does not gain titles.

Examples

  • The rules surrounding morganatic marriages ensure that only the higher-ranking spouse's lineage is recognized in the nobility.

  • Do you have a morganatic marriage?

    Blog text (19)

  • I was reading a 1937 essay in which the author made casual mention of the problem of "morganatic marriage."

    Blog text (19)

  • He spoke of Martin Luther and morganatic marriage and consanguinity.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • Actually, Judy, it's morganatic.

    A Feast of Man (2016)

  • Having only the Kennedys, Kardashians, and other celebrities to function as our quasi-aristocracy, the morganatic dynamic doesn't precisely apply in America, but we have facsimiles of it.

    Blog text (19)

  • In history, a morganatic union may lead to legitimate children who cannot inherit royal titles.

Synonyms

left-handed
vsmorganatic
  • Archaic
9.9

An unofficial marriage that is not fully legal or equal

specifies that the lower partner and children receive no titles or property rights

Surface Forms

morganatic positive

Etymology

Morganatic comes from an old custom called morgengabe, which means 'morning gift', a present the husband gave his wife the morning after the wedding. Because that gift was meant to be the wife's only claim, a morganatic marriage is one where the lower-status spouse and their children do not get the higher-ranking partner's titles or inheritance.