adultery en · NOUN
Pronunciation
Etymology
With change of suffix, from the Old French adultere (“violation of conjugal faith”) (in Bernard of Clairvaux, Sermons, 12c.), a learnèd borrowing from Latin adulterium, from adulterō. Replaced the older form avoutrie, from the inherited Old French forms avouterie or aoulterie, while keeping its suffix. Compare French adultère (“adultery”). Displaced Old English ǣwbryċe. Not related to adult.
Meanings
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(countable, qualifier:strictly, uncountable) Sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse. See more synonyms at Thesaurus:cuckoldry
She engaged in adultery because her spouse has a low libido, while hers is very high.
Under modern statutory law, some courts hold that the unmarried participant isn't guilty of adultery (that only the married participant is)
2009, Garner's Modern American Usage, page 22:Ironically, the detergent industry-sponsored "soap operas" that are central to modern afternoon television programming promise (mostly) female viewers both relief from drudgery and escape into the dramatic, crisis-filled on-air world of (laundryless) marriages, adulteries, and other relationships.
2011, Elizabeth Abbott, A History of Marriage:So also that copulation which in one City is Matrimony, in another will be judged Adultery.
1651, Thomas Hobbes, De Cive:
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(broadly, countable, uncountable) Lewdness or unchastity of thought as well as act, as forbidden by the sixth/seventh commandment; sinful sexual behavior as a category.
Thou shalt not commit adultery.
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(countable, uncountable) Faithlessness in religion.
And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks.
1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Jeremiah 3:9:
- (countable, obsolete, uncountable) The fine and penalty formerly imposed for the offence of adultery.
- (countable, uncountable) The intrusion of a person into a bishopric during the life of the bishop.
- (countable, qualifier:political economy, uncountable) Adulteration; corruption.
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(countable, obsolete, uncountable) Injury; degradation; ruin.
[…] you might wrest the Caduceus out of my hand, to the adultery and spoil of Nature […]
1616, Ben Jonson, “Mercury Vindicated from the Alchemists”, in Thomas Hodgkin, editor, The Works of Ben Jonson, published 1692, page 378:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| adulteries | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
antiadultery · adulterize · commit adultery
Relateds
adulteration · adulterous · adulterate · adulteress · criminal conversation · adulterer · adulterator · adulterine · adulterant · adulter · adulterise
Synonyms
Translations (138)
ca adulteri (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · sv äktenskapsbrott (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · aii ܙܵܢܝܘܼܬܵܐ (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · pdt Ehebruch (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · uk подру́жня неві́рність (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · lt neištikimybė (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · fa زنا (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · ja 姦通 (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · ga adhaltranas (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · oc adultèri (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · kmr zinê (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · uk подру́жня зра́да (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · ja 姦淫 (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · ht adiltè (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · ast adulteriu (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · sk cudzoložstvo (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · cs manželská nevěra (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · ja 私通 (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · sh прељуб (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · ota زنا (lewdness or unchastity of thought as well as act, as forbidden by the seventh commandment) · fi haureus (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · hi ज़िना (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · tl pangangalunya (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · no hor (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · vi ngoại tình (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · sh прељуба (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · ru супру́жеская неве́рность (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · es adulterio (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · gl adulterio (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · ja 姦淫 (lewdness or unchastity of thought as well as act, as forbidden by the seventh commandment) · ms zina (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · cmn 奸情 (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · be пералю́б (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · yao cijama class 7 (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · got 𐌷𐍉𐍂𐌹𐌽𐌰𐍃𐍃𐌿𐍃 (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · grc μοιχεία (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · mi toukohi (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · sl zakonolom (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · uk перелю́бство (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · cmn 私通 (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · be адзюльтэ́р (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · be шлю́бная няве́рнасць (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · el μοιχεία (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · ang ǣwbryċe (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · ja 密通 (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · ur زنا (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · da utroskab (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · fi aviorikos (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · ms mukah (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · ka ღალატი (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · fi huoruus (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · ka სიძვა (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · cmn 不倫之戀 /不伦之恋 (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · mi tōkohi (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · sw zinaa (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · nl echtbreuk (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · fa روسپیگری (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · cmn 姦淫 /奸淫 (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · bg прелюбодея́ние (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · ko 간통 (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · ar خِيانة زَوْجِيَّة (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · cu съничьство (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · ug زىنا (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · gd adhaltranas (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · ka ადიულტერი (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · az zina (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · fa زنای محصنه (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · sh preljuba (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · hu házasságtörés (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · fr adultère (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · af egbreek (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · yi נואף (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · it adulterio (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · fi aviorikos (lewdness or unchastity of thought as well as act, as forbidden by the seventh commandment) · am ዝሙት (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · cs cizoložství (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · kw avoutri (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · ar زِنَا المُحْصَنَيْن (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · ota زنا (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · pl cudzołóstwo (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · sk manželská nevera (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · sh браколомство (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · ru прелюбодея́ние (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · eo adulto (lewdness or unchastity of thought as well as act, as forbidden by the seventh commandment) · ro adulter (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · chr ᎠᏓᏲᏁᎯ (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · rgn adultéri (lewdness or unchastity of thought as well as act, as forbidden by the seventh commandment) · rgn adultéri (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · id zina (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · th การทำชู้ (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · fi aviorikos (faithlessness in religion; as used in Jeremiah 3:9) · mi moe pūremu (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · pt adultério (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · la adulterium (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · pl zdrada małżeńska (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · ru супру́жеская изме́на (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · tr zina (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · ru адюльте́р (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · fa پلیدکاری (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · eo adulto (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · tl pakikiapid (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · sga adaltras (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · is hjúskaparbrot (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · ru прелюбодея́ние (lewdness or unchastity of thought as well as act, as forbidden by the seventh commandment) · fi huorinteko (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · uz zino (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · fi huorinteko (lewdness or unchastity of thought as well as act, as forbidden by the seventh commandment) · af overspel (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · aii ܓܲܝܵܪܘܼܬܵܐ (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · be пралюбадзе́йства (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · sv hor (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · sl prešuštvo (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · ko 불륜 (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · sh preljub (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · ar زِنَاء (lewdness or unchastity of thought as well as act, as forbidden by the seventh commandment) · ja .婚外性交 (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · te వ్యభిచారము (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · hy դավաճանություն (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · nb utroskap (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · mk прељуба (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · uk адюльте́р (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · cy godineb (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · nl overspel (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · sh brakolomstvo (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · ar زِنىً (lewdness or unchastity of thought as well as act, as forbidden by the seventh commandment) · ang unrihthǣmed (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · be шлю́бная здра́да (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · ja 不倫 (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · yao cikululu class 7 (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · cmn 通姦 /通奸 (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · io adultero (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · cmn 外遇 (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · de Ehebruch (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · mi pūremu (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · fi uskottomuus (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · fi uskottomuus (faithlessness in religion; as used in Jeremiah 3:9) · ka მრუშობა (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse) · he ניאוף \ נֵאוּף (sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse)