adulterous

adjective

adul·​ter·​ous ə-ˈdəl-t(ə-)rəs 

: relating to, characterized by, or given to adultery

an adulterous affair

an adulterous wife

adulterously adverb

Synonyms of adulterous

• extramarital
• extracurricular

Examples of adulterous in a Sentence

had an adulterous affair that nearly destroyed his marriage

Recent Examples on the Web

The unapologetically lurid tale of two families locked in an ever-complex cat’s cradle of class resentments and adulterous power plays also swarms with queen bees and jaw-droppingly muscular men that feel straight out of the Real Housewives playbook. —Bloomberg, Mercury News, 22 Jan. 2026

As with the true story of the adulterous writers, there’s something at the center of The Disappear that feels cringily solipsistic. —Sara Holdren, Vulture, 19 Jan. 2026

With Davis’ uneasy acquiescence, Eric reconnected with the second of his adulterous lovers, a woman with whom his wife (unsurprisingly) never got along. —Los Angeles Times, 13 Jan. 2026

The adulterous state attorney general from Texas, Ken Paxton, survived an impeachment vote in 2023 over bribery and abuse of office and is now running for the U.S. Senate. —Brandon Rottinghaus, Washington Post, 7 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

alteration (conformed to Latin adulter "impure, given to adultery") of earlier advouterous, going back to Middle English advouterose, from avowter "given to adultery" (borrowed from Anglo-French avuiltre, avoutre, going back to Latin adulter) + -ous -ous, -ose -ose entry 1 — more at adulterer

First Known Use

1550, in the meaning defined above

Legal Definition

adulterous

adjective

adul·​ter·​ous ə-ˈdəl-tə-rəs 

: relating to, characterized by, or given to adultery

adulterously adverb