Standard Lemma guide

sororate

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • /səˈɹɔːɹət/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The custom of the marriage of a man to the sister of his wife, usually after the wife has died.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A marriage according to this custom.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *swé Proto-Indo-European *h1ésh2r̥ Proto-Indo-European *su-h1ésh2-ōr? Proto-Indo-European *swé Proto-Indo-European *-sōr ? Proto-Indo-European *swésōr Proto-Italic *swezōr Latin soror Proto-Indo-European *-h2 Proto-Indo-European *-éh2 Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Indo-European *-eh2tos Proto-Italic *-ātos Latin -ātuslbor. English -ate English sororate From Latin soror (“sister”) + English -ate (adjective-forming suffix).

Across languages

Translations

6 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: sororaatti — custom
  • Russian: сорорат (sororat) — custom
  • Swedish: sororat — custom
  • Finnish: sororaatti — marriage
  • Finnish: kälyavioliitto — marriage
  • Swedish: sororat — marriage