polygyny

P3O1L1Y4G2Y4N1Y4
/pəˈlɪd͡ʒ.ɪ.ni/

noun

The state or practice of a man having more than one wife at a time; plurality of wives; marriage between one man and multiple wives.

Similar
polygamy
Opposite
monogynymonogamy
OriginAncient Greek πολύ →
UncommonScrabble 20
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Meanings

nounpolygyny (countable and uncountable, plural polygynies)

plural polygynies

  1. countableuncountableThe state or practice of a man having more than one wife at a time; plurality of wives; marriage between one man and multiple wives.

    We may infer that in most cases where polygyny exists, monogamy co-exists to a greater extent, and in all other cases to a considerable extent.

    1883, Herbert Spencer, The Principles of Sociology, page 685

    Antonyms: monogyny, monogamy

  2. countableuncountableThe condition of an ant colony that has multiple egg-laying queens.
  3. countableuncountablebiologySynonym of polygamy.

    Synonyms: polygamy

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe state or practice of a man having more than one wife at a time; plurality of wives; marriage between one man and multiple wives.

Opposite
monogynymonogamy

nounSynonym of polygamy.

Similar
polygamy
Also see
polygamy

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekπολύ“many”
  2. Englishpolygyny

From Ancient Greek πολύ (polú, “many”) + γυνή (gunḗ, “woman, wife”). By surface analysis, poly- + -gyny.

More words from Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic تَعَدُّد اَلزَّوْجَات
  • تَعَدُّد اَلزَّوْجَات (taʕaddud az-zawjāt)plurality of wives at the same time
Chinese Mandarin 一夫多妻, 一夫多妻制
  • 一夫多妻 (yīfūduōqī)plurality of wives at the same time
  • 一夫多妻制 (yīfūduōqīzhì)plurality of wives at the same time
Dutch veelwijverij, polygynie
  • veelwijverijplurality of wives at the same time
  • polygynieplurality of wives at the same time
Esperanto poligamio
  • poligamioplurality of wives at the same time
Finnish monivaimoisuus, polygynia
  • monivaimoisuusplurality of wives at the same time
  • polygyniaplurality of wives at the same time
French polygynie
  • polygynieplurality of wives at the same time
German Polygynie
  • Polygynieplurality of wives at the same time
Hindi बहुपत्नीत्व
  • बहुपत्नीत्व (bahupatnītva)plurality of wives at the same time
Hungarian többnejűség
  • többnejűségplurality of wives at the same time
Irish polaigíneas, il-leannántacht
  • polaigíneasplurality of wives at the same time
  • il-leannántachtplurality of wives at the same time
Japanese 一夫多妻
  • 一夫多妻 (ippu-tasai)plurality of wives at the same time
Lithuanian poliginija, daugpatystė
  • poliginijaplurality of wives at the same time
  • daugpatystėplurality of wives at the same time
Māori tāne moe tokomaha, moe punarau
  • tāne moe tokomahaplurality of wives at the same time
  • moe punarauplurality of wives at the same time
Polish poligynia
  • poligyniaplurality of wives at the same time
Portuguese poliginia
  • poliginiaplurality of wives at the same time
Russian многожёнство, полигини́я
  • многожёнство (mnogožónstvo)plurality of wives at the same time
  • полигини́я (poliginíja)plurality of wives at the same time
Spanish poliginia
  • poliginiaplurality of wives at the same time
Swedish polygyni
  • polygyniplurality of wives at the same time
Ukrainian багатоже́нство
  • багатоже́нство (bahatožénstvo)plurality of wives at the same time
Welsh amlwreiciaeth
  • amlwreiciaethplurality of wives at the same time
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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