monogamish

M3O1N1O1G2A1M3I1S1H4

adjective

Mostly monogamous, but allowing for occasional infidelities.

Scrabble 18
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Meanings

adjectivemonogamish (not comparable)
  1. not comparableMostly monogamous, but allowing for occasional infidelities.

    Assuming he denies this story, use it as a jumping-off point to discuss the difference between monogamy and monogamish.

    2013 April 24, Two Senses, “Two Sense: Is My Fiancé Lying?”, in 7x7SF, retrieved 05 May 2013
    3 more examples

    So I've got a new word to describe relationships like yours, mine, and your mom's, IIC: "monogamish." We're mostly monogamous, not swingers, not actively looking. Monogamish.

    2011 July 20, Dan Savage, “Savage Love: Monogamish”, in The Stranger, retrieved 05 May 2013

    In their own marriage, Savage and Miller practice being what he calls “monogamish,” allowing occasional infidelities, which they are honest about. Miller was initially opposed to the idea.

    2011 June 30, Dan Savage, “Married, With Infidelities”, in The New York Times, retrieved 05 May 2013

    In 2008, Dr. Sarit A. Golub, a member of our research group, coined the term “monogamish” to describe situations such as this, in which the relationship is neither monogamous nor open, but closer to monogamy than not, and our recent research has confirmed this unique relationship arrangement and suggests gay men in monogamish relationships report low levels of sexual risk and high levels or relationship satisfaction (Parsons et al, in press).

    2012, Charlotte J. Patterson, Ph.D.; Anthony R. D'Augelli, Ph.D., Handbook of Psychology and Sexual Orientation, →ISBN, page 25

Origin

Blend of monogamous + -ish. Coined by American sex advice columnist and gay rights campaigner Dan Savage in 2011, although earlier coinages seem to have existed and not become popularized.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

monogamish. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/monogamish

MLA

“monogamish.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/monogamish. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “monogamish,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/monogamish.

Source: monogamish on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.