dowry
A dowry is money or goods given by one family to another at their child's wedding. It's usually from the bride's side to her groom.
In many cultures, especially Asian and African ones, a dowry is an important part of the wedding ceremony. Typically, the parents or relatives of the bride give a certain amount of cash, gold jewelry, clothes, or other valuable items to the groom as a sign of their daughter's value and a way to show their support for her marriage. The idea behind this practice is that it helps ensure the well-being of the bride in her new family, but some people see it as an outdated custom where women are treated more like property than individuals with agency. In India, China, or Indonesia, you might hear someone talk about giving a dowry to their daughter's groom.
How common is "dowry"?
It has a balanced usage among all categories: speech, fiction, newspapers and academic texts.
noun
Payment, such as property or money, paid by the bride's family to the groom or his family at the time of marriage.
verb
To bestow a dowry upon.
Example: 1999, Judith Everard, Michael C. E. Jones, Charters Duchess Constance Br, Page xvi
Real examples of "dowry" in context
