n. A first marriage that lasts only a short time and that ends in a problem-free divorce.
1996
The past ten years has seen a surge in what are now called 'starter' marriages, as ephemeral as spring.
1994 (earliest)
Marriage and family experts — psychologists, sociologists, lawyers and clergy — are beginning to look at these brief young unions, seeing in their implications a barometer of society's attitudes about marriage and divorce. Some say starter marriages signal the need for more premarital counseling.