Editors of the online edition of the Oxford English Dictionary
have updated the definition of the word “marriage” to include gay
and lesbian couples.
UK LGBT news site Gay
Star News was first to report on the changes.
Marriage is defined by the OED online as “the relation between
persons married to each other” and “the condition of being a
husband or wife.” Editors have added: “the term is now sometimes
used with reference to long-term relationships between partners of
the same sex.”
An Oxford University Press spokeswoman first discussed the
possibility of updating the definition to include same-sex couples in
July.
The update comes after England approved a gay marriage law
expected to take effect next summer in Britain and Wales.