had been married

USAGE SUMMARY

"had been married" is a grammatically correct and usable phrase in written English.
It is used to refer to the past tense of the verb "to marry," and indicates a marriage that ended prior to the time in question. For example: "They had been married for five years before they decided to file for divorce."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

57 human-written examples

My husband had been married and divorced.

The New York Times

They had been married four years.

The New Yorker

They thought that they had been married.

The New Yorker

Well, my husband had been married.

The New York Times

Wait — who had been married to whom?

The New York Times

Ms. Daverin had been married since October.

The New York Times

(Dr. Masters had been married once before).

The New York Times

They had been married for eleven months.

The New Yorker

He had been married and divorced.

The New York Times

She had been married and divorced previously.

The New York Times

She had been married three times.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "had been married" to clearly indicate a past marriage that concluded before a specific point in time. For example, "She had been married once before meeting her current husband."

Common error

Avoid using "was married" when you need to emphasize that the marriage ended before another event occurred. "Had been married" provides a clearer timeline.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had been married" functions as a past perfect passive construction, indicating a completed action (marriage) before a specific time in the past. Ludwig confirms this with numerous examples where the phrase establishes a prior marital state.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

98%

Wiki

1%

Formal & Business

1%

Less common in

Science

0%

Academia

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "had been married" is a grammatically sound and frequently used phrase to describe a marriage that ended before a specific point in time. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and provides numerous examples from authoritative sources like The New York Times and The New Yorker. It is most commonly found in news and media contexts and serves to provide background information about someone's marital history. When writing, ensure you are accurately conveying the sequence of events to leverage the full benefit of this grammatical structure.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

had a former marriage

Directly indicates a past marital experience.

were previously married

Focuses on the state of being previously married without specifying the duration or circumstances.

were husband and wife at one time

Specifies the roles held in a previous marriage.

were once spouses

Highlights the past marital relationship in a more formal tone.

experienced marriage previously

Highlights the experience of being married in the past.

had tied the knot before

Emphasizes the act of marrying previously, using an informal idiom.

had exchanged vows before

Focuses on the act of exchanging marital vows in the past.

had entered into matrimony

A formal way of saying someone had married, focusing on the state of matrimony.

had walked down the aisle

Uses a metaphorical expression to describe having been married.

previously took marriage vows

Focuses on the vows taken in a previous marriage.

FAQs

How is "had been married" used in a sentence?

The phrase "had been married" indicates a past marriage that ended before a certain point. For example, "He "had been married" for ten years before divorcing."

What's the difference between "had been married" and "was married"?

"Was married" simply states a past marital status. "Had been married" indicates the marriage ended before another event. Use "had been married" to establish a sequence of events.

What are some alternatives to saying "had been married"?

Alternatives include "were previously married", "had a former marriage", or "were once spouses", depending on the context.

Is it correct to say "has been married" instead of "had been married"?

"Has been married" indicates a marriage that started in the past and continues to the present or has ended very recently, while "had been married" refers to a marriage that ended in the more distant past and it's not related with the present.