1. Home
  2. People & Relationships
  3. Marriage

Marriage of Convenience

By Sheri & Bob Stritof, About.com

Definition: A marriage of convenience is a marriage between two people for practical or financial reasons and not for love or intimacy.

Although illegal in many countries of the world, couples decide to have a marriage of convenience for immigration purposes.

Examples:
Widowed women of the old west in the U.S. often agreed to marriages of convenience in order to survive the hardships of homesteading during the 1800s.
Explore Marriage
About.com Special Features

Your last name may reveal a compelling story about your family history. More >

Is someone in your life passive aggressive? Find out why and how to handle it. More >

  1. Home
  2. People & Relationships
  3. Marriage
  4. Types of Marriages
  5. Marriage of Convenience Definition>

©2009 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company.

All rights reserved.