polygamy

po·ly·ga·my
P3O1L1Y4G2A1M3Y4
/pəˈlɪɡ.ə.mi/

noun

The condition of having more than one spouse or marriage partner at one time.

“Are there countries where polygamy is legal for both men and women?”

Similar
polygyny
Opposite
agamymonogamyserial monogamy
OriginLate Latin polygamia ← Ancient Greek πολυγαμία →
Less commonScrabble 19
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Word of the Day · Sep 21, 2024

Meanings

nounpolygamy (countable and uncountable, plural polygamies)

plural polygamies

  1. countableuncountableThe condition of having more than one spouse or marriage partner at one time.

    Are there countries where polygamy is legal for both men and women?

    1 more example

    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

    Antonyms: agamy, monogamy, serial monogamy

  2. countableespeciallyoftenuncountableSynonym 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.

    1 more example

    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

    Synonyms: polygyny

  3. countableuncountablebiologyThe 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. countableuncountablebiologyThe condition or state of a plant which bears both perfect and unisexual flowers.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe condition of having more than one spouse or marriage partner at one time.

Opposite
agamymonogamyserial monogamy

nounSynonym of polygyny (“marriage of a man to more than one wife, the practice of having several wives at the same time”).

Similar
polygyny
Also see
polygyny

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekπολυγαμία
  2. Late Latinpolygamia
  3. Englishpolygamy

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.

More words from Late Latin, Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek πολυγαμία
  • πολυγαμία (polugamía)the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Arabic تَعَدُّدُ الأَزْوَاج
  • تَعَدُّدُ الأَزْوَاج (taʕaddudu l-ʔazwāj)the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Bulgarian полигамия
  • полигамия (poligamija)the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Catalan poligàmia, poligàmia
  • poligàmiathe having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
  • poligàmiabotany: the condition or state of a plant which bears both perfect and unisexual flowers
Chinese Mandarin 多配偶制, 一夫多妻
  • 多配偶制 (duōpèi'ǒuzhì)the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
  • 一夫多妻 (polygyny)the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Czech polygamie
  • polygamiethe having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Dutch polygamie, polygamie
  • polygamiethe having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
  • polygamiezoology: the state or habit of having more than one mate
  • polygamiebotany: the condition or state of a plant which bears both perfect and unisexual flowers
Esperanto poligamio, pluredzeco
  • poligamiothe having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
  • pluredzecothe having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Estonian polügaamia
  • polügaamiathe having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Finnish moniavioisuus, polygamia
  • moniavioisuusthe having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
  • polygamiathe having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
  • polygamiazoology: the state or habit of having more than one mate
  • polygamiabotany: the condition or state of a plant which bears both perfect and unisexual flowers
French polygamie
  • polygamiethe having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
German Polygamie, Mehrehe
  • Polygamiethe having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
  • Mehrehethe having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
  • Vielehethe having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Greek πολυγαμία
  • πολυγαμία (polygamía)the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Hebrew פוליגמיה
  • פוליגמיה (poligámya)the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Hindi बहुविवाह, बहुसंगमन
  • बहुविवाह (bahuvivāh)the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
  • बहुसंगमन (bahusaṅgman)the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
  • बहुसंगमन (bahusaṅgman)zoology: the state or habit of having more than one mate
Hungarian poligámia, többnejűség
  • poligámiathe having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
  • többnejűségthe having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Indonesian poligami, pernikahan jamak
  • poligamithe having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
  • pernikahan jamakthe having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Irish polagamas, ilphósadh
  • polagamasthe having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
  • ilphósadhthe having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Italian poligamia
  • poligamiathe having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Japanese 複婚, ポリガミー
  • 複婚 (fukukon)the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
  • ポリガミー (porigamī)the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
  • 多婚性 (takonsei)zoology: the state or habit of having more than one mate
Lithuanian poligamija
  • poligamijathe having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Māori moe punarau
  • moe punarauthe having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Persian چندهمسری, تعدد زوجات
  • چندهمسری (čandhamsari)the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
  • تعدد زوجات (ta'addod-e zowjât)the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Polish poligamia, poligamia
  • poligamiathe having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
  • poligamiazoology: the state or habit of having more than one mate
Portuguese poligamia
  • poligamiathe having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Romanian poligamie
  • poligamiethe having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Russian полигами́я, многобра́чие
  • полигами́я (poligamíja)the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
  • многобра́чие (mnogobráčije)the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Scottish Gaelic iol-phòsadh, ioma-phòsadh
  • iol-phòsadhthe having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
  • ioma-phòsadhthe having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
  • iomnuachadhthe having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Slovak polygamia
  • polygamiathe having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Spanish poligamia
  • poligamiathe having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Swedish månggifte, polygami
  • månggiftethe having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
  • polygamithe having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Tagalog poligamiya
  • poligamiyathe having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Turkish çokeşlilik
  • çokeşlilikthe having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Ukrainian поліга́мія, багатошлю́бність
  • поліга́мія (polihámija)the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
  • багатошлю́бність (bahatošljúbnistʹ)the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Welsh amlbriodas
  • amlbriodasthe having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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