adulteress

noun

adul·​ter·​ess ə-ˈdəl-t(ə-)rəs How to pronounce adulteress (audio)
variants or less commonly adultress
: a woman who commits adultery

Examples of adulteress in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Klytemnestra is no longer a power-hungry adulteress but a generic grieving mother. James Frankie Thomas, Vulture, 27 July 2022 In any case, whether Mary Ellen is seen as the flighty adulteress who deservedly dies a sad early death or as the unfortunate source of Meredith’s creative invention, the woman herself, in all her complexity, seems to disappear. Hermione Lee, The New York Review of Books, 3 Dec. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'adulteress.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

alteration (conformed to Latin adulter) of Middle English avoutresse, advowteresse, borrowed from Anglo-French avouteresse, from avouter adulterer + -esse -ess

First Known Use

1542, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of adulteress was in 1542

Dictionary Entries Near adulteress

Cite this Entry

“Adulteress.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/adulteress. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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