Life partner

For the Bollywood film, see Life Partner.

Relationships
Types Family Kinship Siblings Cousin Marriage Husband Wife Friendship (romantic) Significant other Boyfriend Girlfriend Casual Cohabitation Same-sex relationship Sexual partner Monogamy Non-monogamy Open marriage Polyamory Polyfidelity Polygamy Cicisbeo Concubinage Courtesan Mistress
Activities Bonding Courtship Dating Mating Meet market Romance Singles event Wedding
Endings Breakup Separation Divorce Widowhood
Emotions Affinity Attachment Compersion Intimacy Jealousy Limerence Love Passion Platonic love Unconditional love
Practices Bride price dower dowry Hypergamy Infidelity Sexual activity Transgression Repression
Abuse Child Dating Domestic Elderly

A life partner is a romantic or otherwise very close friend for life. The partners can be of the same or opposite sexes, married or unmarried, and celibate, monogamous or polyamorous.

In the United States, unmarried life partners who cohabit often lack the legal rights of married couples. Nevertheless, they can enter into legal agreements, such as cohabitation agreements, deeds, and wills, with regard to their relationship and the property rights of each partner.

Same-sex life partners who are not homosexual are a common theme in serious and popular literature. Fictional examples of extremely close same-sex friends or partners who spend considerable time together on and off the job include Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, Batman and Robin, Abbott and Costello, Bert and Ernie, Harpo and Chico Marx, George Costanza and Jerry Seinfeld, Jay and Silent Bob, Captain Kirk and Spock, J.D. and Turk, Harry Dunne and Lloyd Christmas, as well as numerous pairs from manga and anime.

See also

• Boyfriend
• Girlfriend
• Marriage
• Engagement
• Domestic partnership
• Civil union
• POSSLQ
• Significant other
• Boston marriage