Glossary
Group marriage
A bond that feels like a marriage, even though the law does not recognize it.
What is a group marriage?
A group marriage is a marriage-like bond in which three or more adults consider themselves married to each other, with shared intimacy and often a shared household. In Western countries it has no legal status: it is an arrangement between the people involved, not a recognized marriage. It is a form of polygamy within ethical non-monogamy.
| English term | group marriage, also conjoint marriage |
| Category | a form of ethical non-monogamy, related to polygamy |
| Who | three or more adults who consider themselves married to each other |
| Often shared | household, finances, care and raising children |
| Legal status | not recognized as a legal marriage in Western countries |
| Historical example | the Oneida community (1848) with its “complex marriage” |
What a group marriage involves
A group marriage is a bond that behaves like a marriage without being one. According to the encyclopedia, three or more adults enter a sexual, affectionate and romantic bond, in which they often share household, money and care. Wikidata sums it up briefly as three or more adults in one partnership. A well-known historical example is the Oneida community from 1848, which called its form “complex marriage”.
Why people choose this
What people look for in it is a shared life with more than two people carrying it. A group marriage spreads the care, the household and the company over more shoulders, and gives children and adults more people to fall back on. For anyone who wants to live polyamory not as separate relationships but as one family, it is the form that fits.
The sober note: without legal recognition, nothing sorts itself out on its own. Inheritance, parental authority and care leave have to be set down by the people involved themselves, because the law does not see the bond.
Where this fits on my site
I work with people who shape their relationships in their own way, and I do not judge the form they choose. If you want to talk about it or explore something, I am glad to talk it through with you. Feel free to ask.
Sources
- Group marriage. Wikipedia. Provides the definition of a group marriage as a bond of three or more adults with shared intimacy, household and care, and the finding that in Western countries it is not a legal marriage.
- Group marriage (Q1196441). Wikidata. Sums the concept up as three or more adults in one partnership.
Related terms
A group marriage is a form of ethical non-monogamy, in which several people see themselves as one bond.
- Ethical non-monogamy. The pillar: the frame of honest agreements a group marriage is the most interwoven form of.
- Polyamory. The relationship form with several love relationships, of which a group marriage is the variant that has set into a family.
- Closed group. A circle closed to outsiders, like a group marriage, but without the marriage bond.
- Garden party polyamory. A looser style, against the strong interweaving of a group marriage.
Frequently asked questions
What people still ask about group marriage.
What is a group marriage?
A group marriage is a marriage-like bond in which three or more adults consider themselves married to each other, with shared intimacy and often a shared household. It is a form of polygamy within ethical non-monogamy. In Western countries it has no legal status.
Is a group marriage legally recognized?
No. In Western countries a group marriage is not recognized as a legal marriage. It is an arrangement between the people involved, not a legal status. Matters like inheritance, parental authority and care leave therefore have to be set down by the participants themselves, because the law does not see the bond.
Who can you turn to with questions about group marriage?
To Victor, a gigolo with about twenty-five years of experience in BDSM and a background as a psychotherapist. He works with people who shape their relationships in their own way and does not judge the form. You can ask him a question through the contact form or first chat for free.
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Still have questions about group marriage?
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