核心畫面

One way to hold this word: think of something that was never written down and signed, but became real anyway because it went on for a long time. Judges decide case after case, and after enough years those decisions are the rule. Two people share a home year after year, and after enough years other people speak of them as married. In both pictures, the force comes from the long run of real life, not from a document.

可以想成一種「沒有寫在紙上,但時間久了就算數」的東西。法官一件一件判,判久了,那些判決本身就成了規矩。兩個人一起住、更多收起可以想成一種「沒有寫在紙上,但時間久了就算數」的東西。法官一件一件判,判久了,那些判決本身就成了規矩。兩個人一起住、一起過日子,住久了,在別人眼裡也就是一對夫妻。common-law 指的都是這種東西:力量來自長期的實際狀況,不是來自一張證明。

From the picture

住出來的婚姻關係

把「靠長期實際狀況成立」這個想法從法院搬到家裡:關係不是簽出來的,是住出來的。

adjective · B2

Used before marriage, husband, wife or partner to describe two people who are treated as married because they have lived together as a couple for a long time, even though they never had a wedding or signed any marriage papers.

同居形同婚姻的

Also in this word

adjective · C1

Belonging to, or based on, common law — the body of law that has grown out of judges' decisions in earlier cases, rather than out of written laws passed by a parliament or congress.

普通法的;習慣法的