Hypergamy

Hypergamy (colloquially referred to as "dating up" or "marrying up") is a term used in social science for the act or practice of a person dating or marrying a spouse of higher mating value than themselves.

The antonym "hypogamy" refers to the inverse: marrying a person of lower mating value (colloquially "marrying down"). The term hypergyny can also be used to describe the practice of women marrying up. Concepts such as hypergamy, hypogamy, and hypergyny could be considered as special cases of mésalliance.

In heterosexual dating, historically and in modern times, women, generally, practice hypergamy more than men.

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