adultery
noun
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Definition of adultery
: voluntary sexual intercourse between a married person and someone other than that person's current spouse or partner also : an act of adultery
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Synonyms & Antonyms for adultery
Synonyms
cheating, infidelity, two-timing, unfaithfulness
Antonyms
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Examples of adultery in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In 1536, Anne Boleyn, second wife of King Henry VIII, was arrested and charged with adultery; she was beheaded 17 days later. — BostonGlobe.com, "This day in history," 2 May 2018 Steven and Katie were arrested Jan. 27 and charged with adultery and contributing to delinquency. — Fox News, "North Carolina incest father told mother he killed daughter-wife and their child in shocking 911 call," 13 Apr. 2018 If a man's sperm fertilizes an egg from a woman who is not his wife, does that constitute adultery? — Ariana Eunjung Cha, chicagotribune.com, "40 years after 1st 'test tube' baby, science has produced 7 million babies - and raised moral questions," 27 Apr. 2018 Aside from legal implications, not fasting is a major sin, worse than adultery or drunkenness in Islam. — Ashley May, USA TODAY, "Why are Muslims fasting? What you need to know about Ramadan," 11 May 2018 The couple’s relationship has been rocky after it was revealed that Josh was unfaithful to his wife and used adultery site Ashley Madison to cheat. — Kathleen Joyce, Fox News, "Anna Duggar says 'past 10 years' with husband Josh Duggar 'have been a wonderful adventure'," 6 July 2018 The late Sheikh Abdelaziz Bin Baz, the kingdom’s top official cleric, opined that women should stay at home to reduce the risk of adultery. — The Economist, "Saudi women want more sway in religious affairs," 12 July 2018 One of them said, the sixth commandment is, thou shalt not admit adultery. — Harry Bruinius, The Christian Science Monitor, "In Plains, Ga., an evangelical politician like no other," 11 July 2018 Written by Jessie Nelson, composed by Sara Bareilles, and based on the 2007 movie starring Keri Russell, Waitress is a sweet-as-pie musical about domestic abuse and adultery. — Tony Adler, Chicago Reader, "In the world of Waitress, almost all sins can be forgiven with a song," 11 July 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'adultery.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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From the Editors at Merriam-Webster
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Dictionary Entries near adultery
Statistics for adultery
Last Updated
2 Oct 2018
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Time Traveler for adultery
The first known use of adultery was in the 15th century
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More Definitions for adultery
adultery
noun
English Language Learners Definition of adultery
: sex between a married person and someone who is not that person's wife or husband
See the full definition for adultery in the English Language Learners Dictionary
adultery
nounLegal Definition of adultery
: voluntary sexual activity (as sexual intercourse) between a married man and someone other than his wife or between a married woman and someone other than her husband also : the crime of adultery — compare fornication
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