concubinage (konkubinaj)

[F. concu binage, concubine, concubine, + -age.] 1. The act or practice of cohabiting without a legal marriage. In law it is a valid ground of objection against the granting of dower to a woman who has been a concubine, but suing for dower as wife. The bad tendency of Mr. Pope's "Eloisa to Abelard" is remarked by Sir John Hawkins. as depreciating matrimony and justifying concubinage . Bp . Horne , E ays. 2. The state of being a concubine. - 3. In Rom. law [ con cub in at us ], a permanent cohabitation, recognized by the law, between persons to whose marriage there were no legal obstacles. It was distinguished from marriage proper ( matri. monium) by the absence "marital affection"- that is, the intention of founding a family. As no forms were prescribed in the later times either for legal marriage or concubinage, the question whether the parties intended to enter into the former or into the latter relation was often one of fact to be determined from the surrounding circumstances, and especially with reference to a greater or le difference of rank between them. 4. A natural marriage, as contradistinguished from a civil marriage. Bouvier.