bigamy

noun

big·a·my | \ ˈbi-gə-mē

How to pronounce bigamy (audio)

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Definition of bigamy

law : the act of entering into a marriage with one person while still legally married to another was accused of bigamy

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Examples of bigamy in a Sentence

He was accused of bigamy.

Recent Examples on the Web Supporters of the law say that reducing the penalty for bigamy removes barriers that previously prevented potential abuse victims from coming forward for fear of prosecution. — Harmeet Kaur, CNN, "Bigamy is no longer a felony in Utah," 12 May 2020 Lawmakers in the state House are considering legislation that would reclassify bigamy as an infraction in certain circumstances. — Talal Ansari, WSJ, "Utah Lawmakers Seek to Decriminalize Polygamy," 20 Feb. 2020 Her proposal to make bigamy an infraction rather than a felony has already gathered significant support from her colleagues. — Washington Post, "Polygamists may not face jail time under new Utah bill," 10 Feb. 2020 New legislation introduced in the Senate would change the offense of bigamy, when two people marry while at least one of them is already legally married, from a felony to an infraction. — Harmeet Kaur, CNN, "Bigamy is a felony in Utah. A new bill would change it to an infraction," 11 Feb. 2020 Her proposal to make bigamy an infraction rather than a felony has gathered significant support. — Time, "Utah Bill Would Reduce Polygamy From a Felony to an Infraction," 11 Feb. 2020 Her proposal to make bigamy an infraction rather than a felony has gathered significant support. — Lindsay Whitehurst, USA TODAY, "Polygamists still go to jail in Utah. A new state law may end that.," 11 Feb. 2020 In the bigamy case, Goodman is scheduled to appear again in Hardin District Court on Sept. 27 for a preliminary hearing. — Billy Kobin, The Courier-Journal, "Kentucky man faces bigamy charge after police say he was married to 2 women at once," 24 Aug. 2019 He's been charged with bigamy and was released the same day on a $4,000 bond, jail records indicate. — Matthew Martinez, star-telegram, "His two wives live just 56 miles apart, police say. Why one says the other is 'evil' | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 3 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bigamy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Cite this Entry

“Bigamy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bigamy. Accessed 2 Mar. 2021.

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More Definitions for bigamy

bigamy

noun

English Language Learners Definition of bigamy

: the crime of marrying one person while you are still legally married to another

See the full definition for bigamy in the English Language Learners Dictionary

bigamy

noun

big·a·my | \ ˈbi-gə-mē

\

Legal Definition of bigamy

: the crime of marrying someone while still legally married to someone else — compare polygamy

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