a marriage where there is a lack of consent from either party

Forced marriage is a term used to describe a marriage in which one or more of the parties (usually the woman) is married without his/her consent or against his/her will. It is different from an arranged marriage, in which both parties consent to the assistance of their parents or a third party in identifying a spouse. The practice of forced marriage was very common amongst the upper classes in Europe until the 1900s.