Marriage does show commitment both at the time and as long as the marriage continues, that doesn't preclude other forms of expressing commitment or that even if you are married that you can show a lack of commitment to that marriage...
if anything time is meaningless as you can be married or cohabiting for 50 years, but if you have spent that 50 years cheating and gallivanting about it doesn't illustrate that you took the commitment seriously and therefore it can be argued that you didn't show the required amount of commitment. Therefore I would argue that it is not time, but actions that illustrate your commitment to a relationship and marriage is one way of expressing that through an action that is generally regarded as formalising a union and making a vow to each other in front of witnesses that publicly declares your commitment to each other.
For many people marriage represents a psychological, personal and social commitment that they would not have if they were simply cohabiting, this again doesn't devalue others commitment outside of marriage, it only represents an expression of commitment within their particular relationship.
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