POLYGAMY

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does polygamy mean? 

• POLYGAMY (noun)
  The noun POLYGAMY has 1 sense:

1. the condition or practice of having more than one spouse at a time

  Familiarity information: POLYGAMY used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• POLYGAMY (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The condition or practice of having more than one spouse at a time

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Hypernyms ("polygamy" is a kind of...):

marriage; matrimony; spousal relationship; union; wedlock (the state of being a married couple voluntarily joined for life (or until divorce))

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "polygamy"):

polyandry (polygamy in which a woman has more than one husband at a time)

polygyny (polygamy in which a man has more than one wife at a time)

Derivation:

polygamist (someone who is married to two or more people at the same time)

polygamous (having more than one mate at a time; used of relationships and individuals)

 Context examples 

"Have some refreshment," said the little man, and he added, in a confidential way, "It's always like this, ain't it? And must be unless you had polygamy, only the other way round; you understand."

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)