bride price

This term describes a specific cultural and legal transaction where assets are transferred to the bride's family. It is distinct from a dowry, which is the opposite movement of wealth—from the bride's family to the groom or his family. The connotation is often tied to traditional kinship systems and the formalization of marriage contracts in specific societies.

In modern legal or sociological discourse, the term is used neutrally to describe customary law. However, in some contemporary contexts, it may carry a negative connotation of commodification, depending on the speaker's perspective on traditional marriage practices.