"Marriage describes certain types of lifelong commitment."

It is supposed to...and often does, but there are so many 'marriages of convenience' that it needs a disclaimer.

I have known of a fellow who 'married' a woman to give her American papers, then allowed her to live elsewhere. I'm not defending... just commenting.

(I have even known of divorces FROM 'lifelong committment' in order to get around certain tax laws which made filing separately a better economic choice. I 'think' that has since been fixed.)