bigamy

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 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 After Brown died, questions arose about multiple bigamy, DNA tests and a quarreling family attempting to resolve entitlement to an estate valued as high as $100 million. — Eriq Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, "Deaths in Entertainment Become Problems for the Federal Judiciary," 22 Aug. 2019 Though critical of the fickleness of U.S. immigration policy, Corchado also touches on the inconsistencies of Mexico - a nation where family is revered yet bigamy thrives, and where corruption thwarts investment. — Jill Leovy, chicagotribune.com, "A personal perspective on Mexico's mass exodus to the United States," 2 July 2018 That testimony led police to file one charge of bigamy, a felony, against the man on Monday, WDIV reported. — Josh Magness, star-telegram, "He got married in April. Then his new bride got a call from his other wife, police say," 5 June 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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Last Updated

22 Feb 2020

Cite this Entry

“Bigamy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bigamy. Accessed 24 Feb. 2020.

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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

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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