Meanings
nounmarriage penalty (plural marriage penalties)
plural marriage penalties
- idiomaticeconomicsA situation where a married couple pays more in taxes, typically income taxes, when filing jointly, than the two individuals would pay if filing as singles separately.
Cite this entry
APA
marriage penalty. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/marriage%20penalty
MLA
“marriage penalty.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/marriage%20penalty. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “marriage penalty,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/marriage%20penalty.
Source: marriage penalty on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.