divorce mill: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
LowInformal, Journalistic, Historical
Quick answer
What does “divorce mill” mean?
A place or organization, typically a law firm or court jurisdiction, that processes divorces quickly, cheaply, and with little regard for legal formalities or individual circumstances.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A place or organization, typically a law firm or court jurisdiction, that processes divorces quickly, cheaply, and with little regard for legal formalities or individual circumstances.
A location, region, or institution known for expediting legal separations, sometimes with negative connotations of profit-driven, impersonal, or legally questionable practices. Can also refer historically to US states like Nevada that offered lenient divorce laws.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
While the term originated in and is primarily used in American English, it is understood and occasionally used in British English. The referent is typically a historical or foreign concept.
Connotations
In American English, it evokes historical phenomena like Nevada's mid-20th century divorce industry. In British English, it's a metaphorical borrowing.
Frequency
Much more common in American English, especially in historical or socio-legal commentary.
Grammar
How to Use “divorce mill” in a Sentence
[be verb] + a divorce mill[noun] + was known as a divorce mill[verb] + a divorce mill[adjective] + divorce millVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “divorce mill” in a Sentence
adjective
British English
- The divorce-mill lawyer was investigated.
American English
- She avoided the divorce-mill operations in the city.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not used in standard business contexts.
Academic
Used in historical, sociological, or legal studies discussing the history of divorce law and migratory divorce.
Everyday
Rarely used in everyday conversation; more likely in historical documentaries or articles.
Technical
Not a technical legal term, but used in socio-legal commentary.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “divorce mill”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “divorce mill”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “divorce mill”
- Using it to refer to a high divorce rate in general (e.g., 'The country is a divorce mill'). It specifically refers to institutions facilitating the process, not statistics.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it's largely historical, referring to places like Reno, Nevada, in the early-to-mid 20th century before no-fault divorce became widespread.
No, it is an informal, pejorative term. Use neutral terms like 'jurisdiction known for expedited divorce proceedings' in formal contexts.
Not necessarily. The term can metaphorically describe a law firm or online service that processes divorces in an impersonal, assembly-line fashion.
It is critical and pejorative, intended to disparage the practice it describes. It would be offensive if used to describe a legitimate family law practice.
A place or organization, typically a law firm or court jurisdiction, that processes divorces quickly, cheaply, and with little regard for legal formalities or individual circumstances.
Divorce mill: in British English it is pronounced /dɪˈvɔːs mɪl/, and in American English it is pronounced /dɪˈvɔːrs mɪl/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Marriage on the rocks, divorce on tap.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of an old-fashioned grain mill—it grinds grain into flour quickly and mechanically. A 'divorce mill' grinds marriages apart quickly and impersonally.
Conceptual Metaphor
DIVORCE IS A MASS-PRODUCTION PROCESS (an institution is a factory).
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary connotation of 'divorce mill'?