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law
: the act of entering into a marriage with one person while still legally married to another
was accused of bigamy
Examples of bigamy in a Sentence
He was accused of bigamy.
Recent Examples on the Web
Answer: Treason, murder, obstruction, theft, smuggling, piracy, mutiny, desertion, bigamy, dueling, accepting the land grant on the Ridge under false pretenses.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 23 July 2024
But with no-fault divorces, a couple could split amiably, without accusing or proving anything like bigamy or fraud or abandonment.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 24 May 2024
May 30: Future U.S. President Andrew Jackson shoots and kills American attorney Charles Dickinson in a duel after Dickinson accused Jackson's wife of bigamy.
—John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 8 Apr. 2024
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
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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 12 Dec. 2024.
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