coverture.

A historical common-law doctrine under which a married woman’s legal capacities and rights were substantially tied to those of her husband.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• the doctrine of coverture
• under coverture

On the page

Coverture shaped the lawyer’s answer before he asked what she wanted.

She discovered that the marriage had altered her legal position under coverture.

Usage notes

Primary category: gothic. Forms: Usually uncountable. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings.