polygamy
polygamy Lexical Profile
polygamy Game Scores & Validity
• noun
The practice or custom of having more than one wife or husband at the same time.
"Anthropologists studied how traditional rules governing polygamy shaped kinship networks across the region."
A mating system in animals in which an individual forms reproductive bonds with more than one mate during a single breeding season.
"Field researchers observed a high rate of polygamy among the territorial male birds in the marshland."
Word Nuance & Usage
In anthropology and sociology, "polygamy" is an umbrella term for any marriage involving multiple spouses, whereas "polygyny" specifically refers to one man having multiple wives and "polyandry" refers to one woman having multiple husbands.
• Rhymes for polygamy
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the late 16th century via Middle French or Late Latin from Ancient Greek polygamia, combining polys ("many") and gamos ("marriage").