Meanings
plural Romeo and Juliet couples
- A couple who have married without their parents' consent.
- By analogy with the two Shakespearean characters, a couple consisting of one member from each of two opposing families, parties, or countries.
The incidence there was especially high among Indian and Pakistani teens, Romeo-and-Juliet couples.
1997, Lucia Nevai, Normal: stories1 more example
There are, for example, the Romeo and Juliet couples, who come from warring or enemy nations and escape to a neutral third country […]
1988, Dugan Romano, Intercultural marriage: promises and pitfalls
Origin
After the eponymous characters in Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
Romeo and Juliet couple. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Romeo%20and%20Juliet%20couple
“Romeo and Juliet couple.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Romeo%20and%20Juliet%20couple. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Romeo and Juliet couple,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Romeo%20and%20Juliet%20couple.
Source: Romeo and Juliet couple on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.