To dissolve or annul a marriage; to divorce or separate from a spouse.
From 'dis-' plus 'marry' (from Old French 'marier', Latin 'maritare'). This archaic word appears in Middle English texts but was largely replaced by 'divorce', which entered English from French law.
In medieval times, only the Church could 'dismarry' people, and it was rare and scandal-ridden. The existence of 'dismarry' shows how language evolves—we abandoned the old word when we moved toward secular legal systems and more common separations.
Historically, marriage dissolution was legally and socially asymmetrical—women lost property, children, and social standing disproportionately. The term 'dismarry' carries gendered legal consequences that persist in unequal divorce outcomes.
Use with awareness that marital dissolution affects genders differently. When discussing dissolution, name the actual legal/economic disparities rather than using neutral language that masks inequity.
["divorce (more neutral)","dissolve the marriage","separate (context-dependent)"]
Women's rights movements fought for equitable property division and custody rights—historically erased from 'dismarry' terminology that obscured gendered harm.
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