polycule

plural polycules

1. lifestyleA polyamorous group of individuals connected by their overlapping platonic, romantic, or sexual relationships.First known use 2010

   Coordinate term: molecule (“set or subset of polyamorous relationships”)

   5 more examples

   Our polycule doubled in size when my spouse started seeing Boris, whose husband has six other partners.

   If you have rock-solid relationships with everyone involved, and if you are a skilled negotiator—and able to keep your own emotions in check—you may decide to wade into those waters to try to bring peace to your polycule, and you might actually do some good.

   2014, Franklin Veaux, Eve Rickert, “Your Partners’ Other Partners”, in More than Two: A Practical Guide to Ethical Polyamory, Portland, Or.: Thorntree Press, →ISBN, part 5 (The Poly Ecosystem), page 409

   Unbeknownst to him, Janice had, some three weeks prior, broken up with one of her partners from a polycule in Colorado.

   2018, T. J. Thomson, “The Evolution of Story: How Time and Modality Affect Visual and Verbal Narratives Quarterly”, in Visual Communication, volume 25, number 4, London: Sage Publications, →DOI, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 204

   While nonmonogamy doesn't always mean having multiple partners, Ezra [Miller]'s polycule comprises multiple sexual partners.

   2018 November 16, Josephine Yurcaba, “Ezra Miller Discussed Polyamory and Past Abuse”, in Teen Vogue, New York, N.Y.: Condé Nast Publications, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 28 May 2019

   The duo and eight others comprising the financial whiz [Sam Bankman-Fried]'s inner circle shared a tony penthouse in the Bahamas, a living arrangement that some, including tech mogul Elon Musk, reportedly described as a "polycule"—that is, "a connected network of people and relationships, all of whom are in some way involved emotionally, sexually, or romantically with at least one other person".

   [2023 September 30, Victoria Bekiempis, “‘Dark’ donations, free love and the fall: the Sam Bankman-Fried trial is here”, in Katharine Viner, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 24 Apr 2026

   Synonyms: constellation, 'cule, pod, poly