marriage broker: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2 / Low-FrequencyFormal / Technical
Quick answer
What does “marriage broker” mean?
A person or company whose business is to arrange marriages, traditionally by finding suitable partners and negotiating terms between families.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A person or company whose business is to arrange marriages, traditionally by finding suitable partners and negotiating terms between families.
A professional matchmaker, often operating within specific cultural or religious communities, who facilitates introductions and negotiations with the explicit goal of marriage. In modern contexts, the term can be used somewhat metaphorically for services that facilitate serious, marriage-oriented relationships.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical difference. The term is used in both varieties, often in contexts discussing historical practices, specific ethnic communities (e.g., Orthodox Jewish shadchan, South Asian rishta aunty), or anthropological studies.
Connotations
Both share connotations of formal arrangement, often traditional or community-specific. In both, it may sound slightly archaic or culturally niche outside of those specific contexts.
Frequency
Equally low-frequency in both varieties. More likely encountered in historical fiction, anthropological texts, or news articles about specific cultural practices than in everyday conversation.
Grammar
How to Use “marriage broker” in a Sentence
[Subject] hired/consulted a marriage broker.[Subject] acted as a marriage broker for [two families/parties].The marriage broker introduced [Object] to [Object].Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “marriage broker” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- They decided to marriage-broker a union between the two families. (rare, non-standard)
American English
- He tried to marriage-broker a deal between the rival firms. (metaphorical, rare)
adverb
British English
- N/A. No standard adverbial form.
American English
- N/A. No standard adverbial form.
adjective
British English
- The marriage-broker service was well-regarded in the community. (hyphenated attributive)
American English
- She had a marriage broker business. (noun adjunct)
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare, unless referring to the business model of a specific matchmaking agency. "The company operates as a high-end marriage broker for wealthy clients."
Academic
Used in anthropology, sociology, and history to describe a formal social role. "The paper examines the economic role of the marriage broker in 19th-century urban communities."
Everyday
Very rare in casual conversation. If used, it's likely in storytelling or when describing a specific cultural practice known to the speakers.
Technical
Precise term in ethnography and social history for a professional matchmaking role.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “marriage broker”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “marriage broker”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “marriage broker”
- Using 'marriage broker' to refer to a casual dating app or website (too broad). Confusing with 'wedding planner' (who organizes the ceremony, not the match).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. A marriage broker's explicit goal is facilitating a marriage, often involving families. A dating coach focuses on improving social skills for dating in general, not necessarily with a marital outcome.
It is a low-frequency, formal term. While it may sound old-fashioned in general Western contexts, it remains the accurate technical term for the professional role in anthropology and is actively used within specific cultural or religious groups that practice arranged marriages.
A matchmaker is a broader, often more informal term. A marriage broker implies a more formal, professional, sometimes commercial service with a clear focus on the contractual or negotiated aspects leading directly to marriage.
Typically, no. Websites are 'matchmaking services' or 'matrimonial sites'. 'Marriage broker' traditionally refers to a person or a service with significant personal intermediary involvement. Using it for an algorithm-based platform is a metaphorical stretch.
A person or company whose business is to arrange marriages, traditionally by finding suitable partners and negotiating terms between families.
Marriage broker is usually formal / technical in register.
Marriage broker: in British English it is pronounced /ˈmær.ɪdʒ ˌbrəʊ.kər/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈmer.ɪdʒ ˌbroʊ.kɚ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “play the marriage broker (to act as an intermediary in trying to unite two people or groups)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a stock BROKER who deals in stocks and shares. A MARRIAGE BROKER 'deals' in marriages, bringing together parties for a union.
Conceptual Metaphor
MARRIAGE IS A BUSINESS TRANSACTION (where the broker is the intermediary). / FINDING A PARTNER IS A MARKET ACTIVITY.
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is the closest professional role to a 'marriage broker'?