marriage of convenience

M

marriage of convenience (metaphor)
/ˈmær.ɪdʒ əv kənˈviː.ni.əns/

Meanings

• A relationship or union formed for practical, financial, political, or social advantage rather than love.
• A strategic alliance between individuals, groups, or nations created for mutual benefit, not genuine affection.
• A literal marriage arranged for legal, financial, or social necessity (e.g., immigration or inheritance).

Synonyms: alliance; partnership; union; arrangement; pact; coalition.

Example Sentences

1. They entered into a marriage of convenience to strengthen their family businesses.
2. The two nations maintained a marriage of convenience during wartime.
3. He agreed to a marriage of convenience so his friend could remain in the country. (literal)

Origin and History

French Roots

The English phrase marriage of convenience is a direct translation from the French mariage de convenance, a term historically used to describe a marriage entered for practical, social, or political reasons rather than romantic love.

Introduction In English

The idiom marriage of convenience entered English in the early eighteenth century, almost certainly as a direct calque of the French mariage de convenance, which had long described unions formed for advantage rather than affection. Its adoption into English was facilitated by the translation of French works, frequent cultural exchange between England and France, and the receptive environment of English society where parallel expressions such as “marriage of interest” or “match of convenience” were already in use. The phrase therefore developed not as a sudden invention but as the natural adaptation of an established French formula into English, aligning with the social and political realities of the period.

Cultural Context

While the phrase itself stems from French and entered modern European languages through English in the eighteenth century, the practice it describes—marriages formed for political alliances, property consolidation, dynastic strategies, or other practical purposes—is ancient and cross-cultural. Examples include royal marriages, arranged unions, and inheritance-driven partnerships across various societies.

Earliest Usage in Print

In Joseph Addison’s The Spectator, Volume I (London: 1711–1712), the phrase marriage of convenience appears in an essay describing a daughter whose father arranges her marriage to secure social or economic advantage rather than for love. The passage states:

“He had regarded this alliance rather as a marriage of convenience than of love.”

This marks one of the earliest recorded uses of the phrase in English print, published in a series with a daily circulation of approximately 3,000 copies.

Country of Origin

Lexical origin: France (from mariage de convenance).
Introduced in English: England (early 1700s, Joseph Addison, The Spectator).

Summary

Marriage of Convenience Meaning: A marriage entered for practical, social, or political reasons rather than romantic love.
Lexical Origin: France (mariage de convenance).
First English Record: 1711, Joseph Addison, The Spectator (England).

Variants

• convenient marriage
• practical marriage
• strategic marriage
• union of convenience

Marriage, Relationship