Some great news from the folks at the
Oxford English Dictionary:
The leading authority on the English language has confirmed that the definition of the word 'marriage' will be changed now a law allowing same-sex couples to get married has been passed.
Language experts at the Oxford English Dictionary said the definition did not change overnight but they will monitor how the word marriage changes over the next year.
An Oxford University Press spokeswoman said: ‘We continually monitor the words in our dictionaries, paying particular to those words whose usage is shifting, so yes, this will happen with marriage.’
This is the
current definition of marriage:
noun
1the formal union of a man and a woman, typically as recognized by law, by which they become husband and wife:
she has three children from a previous marriage
[mass noun] the state of being married:
women want equality in marriage
(in some jurisdictions) a union between partners of the same sex.
2a combination or mixture of elements:
her music is a marriage of funk, jazz, and hip hop
From an Oxford Dictionary
representative:
‘We are constantly monitoring usage in this area in order to consider what revisions and updates we may need to make,’ the Oxford University Press spokeswoman added.
‘It’s worth pointing out that, as the OED is distinct from other dictionaries in being a historical record of the language, meanings of the past will remain, even while language changes and new ones are added.’