Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Wiktionary
n. One of several discrete options describing a person's relationship with a significant other, such as single, married, divorced, widowed, civil union, domestic partnership, etc.
WordNet
n. the condition of being married or unmarried
Wikipedia
Civil status, or marital status, is any of several distinct options that describe a person's relationship with a significant other. Married, single, divorced, and widowed are examples of civil status.
Civil status and marital status are terms used in forms, vital records, and other documents to ask or indicate whether a person is married or single. In the simplest contexts, no further distinction is made. A status of married means that a person was wed in a manner legally recognized by their jurisdiction. A person's specified civil status might also be married if they are in a civil union or common-law marriage. The civil status of a person who is legally separated is married.
Whether a cohabiting couple (such as in a domestic partnership) have a civil status of "married" depends on the circumstances and the jurisdiction. In addition to those who have never married, single status also applies to people whose relationship with a significant other is not legally recognized.
Questions about civil status appear on questionnaires for quantitative research, such as census forms and market research instruments. In a person's medical history, civil status is considered to have both quantitative and qualitative significance. A government records the civil status of its citizens by means of a civil registration system. Historically, inquiries into marital status have also appeared on applications for employment, loans, and credit.
Family status indicates whether a person is the responsible caregiver for a child.
Usage examples of "marital status".
Even now, however, we are already creating distinctive new subcults based on marital status.
Also, due to the special circumstances of the accused having been a civilian for nearly eighteen years, you may take into account his civilian accomplishments, his community standing, his marital status, and his age in arriving at your sentence.
I added for good measure, fccling vaguely that marital status might make me seem slightly more respectable, appearances notwithstanding.
We exchanged pleasantries, which in her case consisted of abrasive comments about my weight, my hair, and my marital status.
The three single women he'd thus far met in town had good reasons for their marital status.
With the world approaching an event in its struggle for survival, at a moment in time that we humans have awarded a significance beyond the ordinary, surely we can find something to discuss more vital than someone's marital status.