sororate marriage

English

Noun

sororate marriage (plural sororate marriages)

1. A marriage in which a husband engages in marriage or sexual relations with the sister of his wife, usually after the death of his wife, or once his wife has proven infertile.
   • 1980, Lalita Prasad Vidyarthi, Vijay S. Upadhyay, The Kharia, Then and Now: A Comparative Study of Hill, Dhelki, and Dudh Kharia of the Central-eastern Region of India, New Delhi: Concept Publishing Company, page 138:

     Sororate marriage is prevalent among the Hill Kharias, only after the death of the first wife and that also depends on the consent of the father-in-law and the prospective second wife.

Coordinate terms

• levirate marriage