intermarried

Intermarried is an adjective describing individuals or couples who have married someone from a different racial, ethnic, religious, or cultural group. The term can apply to the act of marriage itself as well as to the identities of the spouses or their descendants. In many contexts, intermarriage denotes unions across social lines that have historically been treated as distinct or separate.

Historically, many societies discouraged or prohibited intermarriage. Laws restricting miscegenation existed in various countries, most famously in the United States until Loving v. Virginia (1967), which invalidated state anti-miscegenation statutes. Across the world, religious, cultural, and customary rules have shaped who may marry whom. In recent decades, globalization, migration, and civil-rights movements have contributed to rising rates of intermarriage in many regions, accompanied by ongoing discussions about cultural preservation, assimilation, and family identity.

Intermarriage has implications for individuals and families. Children of intermarried couples may identify with multiple ethnic, racial, or religious backgrounds, leading to diverse family traditions and, at times, complex navigation of social expectations. For researchers and policymakers, intermarriage can reflect levels of social integration and mobility, while also informing debates on ethnicity, religion, and heritage. Data on intermarriage are collected in various ways, often through censuses or surveys that allow for self-identification, and these data can influence discussions on civil rights, immigration, education, and social cohesion.