Dictionary

polygamy en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /pəˈlɪɡ.ə.mi/

Etymology

Recorded since 1591, from Late Latin polygamia, from Ancient Greek πολυγαμία (polugamía), itself from πολύγαμος (polúgamos, “married to many”), from πολύς (polús, “many”) + γάμος (gámos, “marriage”). Relates to modern prefix and suffix poly- + -gamy.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) The condition of having more than one spouse or marriage partner at one time.
   • Miss Griffin was a model of propriety, and I am at a loss to imagine what the feelings of the virtuous woman would have been, if she had known, when she paraded us down the Hampstead Road two and two, that she was walking with a stately step at the head of Polygamy and Mahomedanism. 1859, Charles Dickens, The Haunted House:
   • Are there countries where polygamy is legal for both men and women?
2. (countable, especially, in common use, often, uncountable) Synonym of polygyny (“marriage of a man to more than one wife, the practice of having several wives at the same time”).
   • Though Islam allows polygamy, it is frowned upon in many contemporary Muslim societies.
   • Because Mormon polygamy was an unusual family form in nineteenth-century America […] 1991, Kathryn M Daynes, Plural wives and the nineteenth-century Mormon marriage system, page 16:
3. (countable, uncountable) The state or habit of having more than one sexual mate.
   • An insect queen actually practices polygamy only one day, while for an alpha-male defending his harem is the very essence of both his status and polygamy.
4. (countable, uncountable) The condition or state of a plant which bears both perfect and unisexual flowers.

Forms

Antonyms

serial monogamy · agamy · monogamy

Coordinates

serial polygamy

Deriveds

polygamous · serial polygamy · polygamist · polygamize · polygamical · antipolygamy · polygamious · polygamic

Relateds

harem · concubine · seraglio

Synonyms

polygyny

Translations (69)

de Vielehe (the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry) · sk polygamia (the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry) · hi बहुसंगमन (the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry) · es poligamia (the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry) · uk поліга́мія (the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry) · cmn 多配偶制 (the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry) · fi polygamia (the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry) · nl polygamie (zoology: the state or habit of having more than one mate) · ca poligàmia (the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry) · fa تعدد زوجات (the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry) · jv wayuh (the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry) · lt poligamija (the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry) · bg полигамия (the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry) · fa چندهمسری (the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry) · id pernikahan jamak (the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry) · ga ilphósadh (the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry) · grc πολυγαμία (the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry) · ka მრავალქორწინება (the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry) · ja ポリガミー (the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry) · cy amlbriodas (the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry) · hu többnejűség (the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry) · tl poligamiya (the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry) · ru многобра́чие (the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry) · he פוליגמיה (the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry) · be мнагашлю́бнасць (the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry) · mk полигамија (the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry) · hu poligámia (the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry) · ru полигами́я (the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry) · be паліга́мія (the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry) · gv yl-phoosey (the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry) · hi बहुविवाह (the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry) · pl poligamia (zoology: the state or habit of having more than one mate) · ar تَعَدُّدُ الأَزْوَاج (the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry) · pt poligamia (the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry) · id poligami (the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry) · ga polagamas (the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry) · mk многубра́чност (the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry) · ca poligàmia (botany: the condition or state of a plant which bears both perfect and unisexual flowers) · fi polygamia (botany: the condition or state of a plant which bears both perfect and unisexual flowers) · sv månggifte (the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry) · fr polygamie (the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry) · it poligamia (the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry) · nl polygamie (botany: the condition or state of a plant which bears both perfect and unisexual flowers) · mi moe punarau (the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry) · sv polygami (the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry) · ro poligamie (the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry) · gd iomnuachadh (the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry) · nl polygamie (the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry) · gu બહુપતિત્વ (the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry) · hi बहुसंगमन (zoology: the state or habit of having more than one mate) · cs polygamie (the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry) · gd ioma-phòsadh (the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry) · fi moniavioisuus (the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry) · de Polygamie (the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry) · sh poligàmija (the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry) · ka პოლიგამია (the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry) · ja 多婚性 (zoology: the state or habit of having more than one mate) · ja 複婚 (the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry) · uk багатошлю́бність (the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry) · el πολυγαμία (the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry) · eo pluredzeco (the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry) · de Mehrehe (the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry) · gd iol-phòsadh (the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry) · et polügaamia (the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry) · fi polygamia (zoology: the state or habit of having more than one mate) · pl poligamia (the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry) · cmn 一夫多妻 (the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry) · eo poligamio (the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry) · tr çokeşlilik (the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry)