wed

verb

ˈwed 

wedded also wed; wedding

transitive verb

1

: to take for wife or husband by a formal ceremony : marry

2

: to join in marriage

3

: to unite as if by marriage: such as

a

: to place in close or intimate association

films that made me conscious of the power of wedding image to music

—Gerald Early

b

: to link by commitment or custom

was wed to the old ways

intransitive verb

: to enter into matrimony

wedder noun

Synonyms

• espouse
• marry
• match

Examples of wed in a Sentence

They will wed in the fall.

The actress wed her fourth husband last year.

The novel weds tragedy and comedy.

His new writing job wedded his love of words and his eye for fashion.

Recent Examples on the Web

For all his disgruntlement, Wonder ultimately sees himself as a positive agent for change — and he’s still deeply wedded to the idea of music as a unifying force. —Brian McCollum, Detroit Free Press, 3 Nov. 2024

Created by Bernard Slade (The Flying Nun), the series provided an early-career role for Meredith Baxter as Bridget, a wealthy Irish-Catholic teacher who weds Bernie (David Birney), a Jewish cab driver. —Ryan Gajewski, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Oct. 2024

Operation Anadyr failed not because the Soviet rocket forces were too wedded to their standard procedures but because the military’s hypercentralization prevented the feedback mechanisms from working properly. —Sergey Radchenko, Foreign Affairs, 3 Apr. 2023

Until the mid-nineteenth century, opera was wedded to rhythm and rhyme. —Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 29 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English wedden, from Old English weddian; akin to Middle High German wetten to pledge, Old English wedd pledge, Old High German wetti, Goth wadi, Latin vad-, vas bail, security

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Kids Definition

wed

verb

ˈwed 

wedded also wed; wedding

1

: to take, give, or join in marriage : marry

2

: to unite firmly as if by marriage