bigamy

noun

big·​a·​my ˈbi-gə-mē How to pronounce bigamy (audio)
law : the act of entering into a marriage with one person while still legally married to another
was accused of bigamy
bigamist noun

Examples of bigamy in a Sentence

He was accused of bigamy.
Recent Examples on the Web Section 241 in Mississippi's state constitution specifies 10 felonies—murder, rape, bribery, theft, arson, obtaining money or goods under false pretense, perjury, forgery, embezzlement or bigamy—for which a conviction will result in a person losing their right to vote. Virginia Langmaid, CNN, 26 Aug. 2022 Tosches says Uncle Lee dissuaded them, but couldn't save his nephew from bigamy. Philip Martin, Arkansas Online, 6 Nov. 2022 The Mississippi Constitution strips voting rights from people convicted of 10 felonies, including forgery, arson and bigamy. From Usa Today Network and Wire Reports, USA TODAY, 23 Sep. 2021 Strong’s Canadian citizenship was confirmed along with the public reveal of his bigamy. David Reamer, Anchorage Daily News, 8 Jan. 2023 Hill was then arrested and faced numerous charges including bigamy, assault causing bodily injury, interference with child custody and continuous trafficking of persons, jail records show. Dallas News, 30 Mar. 2022 Over the years, she was accused of or convicted of theft, fraud, burglary and bigamy, according to police reports. Joseph Diaz, ABC News, 2 June 2022 An enterprising publisher reissued an account of the 1706 bigamy trial of Robert Fielding, with prints of the interior view and a key of where famous people had sat. Catherine Ostler, Town & Country, 24 Feb. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bigamy.' 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

Middle English bigamie, from Medieval Latin bigamia, from Latin bi- + Late Latin -gamia -gamy

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bigamy was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near bigamy

Cite this Entry

“Bigamy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bigamy. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

bigamy

noun
big·​a·​my ˈbig-ə-mē How to pronounce bigamy (audio)
: the act of marrying one person while still legally married to another
bigamist noun
bigamous
-məs
adjective
bigamously adverb
Etymology

Middle English bigamie "bigamy," derived from Latin bi- "two" and Greek gamia "marriage"

Legal Definition

bigamy

noun
big·​a·​my ˈbi-gə-mē How to pronounce bigamy (audio)
: the crime of marrying someone while still legally married to someone else compare polygamy
bigamist noun
Etymology

Medieval Latin bigamia, ultimately from Latin bi- two + Greek gamos marriage

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