English

Noun

Boston marriage ‎(plural Boston marriages)

1. (dated) a long-term monogamous relationship between two unmarried women, especially in New England between the 18th and early 20th centuries.
   • 2006, Laura Castañeda, Shannon B. Campbell , News and Sexuality: Media Portraits of Diversity, SAGE, page 217

     Thus, unlike in contemporary relationships, participants in a Boston marriage may or may not have considered genital activity to be an important element in their relationship.

   • 2002, Marilyn Yalom, Laura L. Carstensen, Inside the American Couple: New Thinking, New Challenges, University of California Press, page 81

     Often, in marked contrast to Boston marriages in previous times, these lesbians keep their asexuality hidden from the community.