concubine

noun

con·​cu·​bine ˈkäŋ-kyu̇-ˌbīn 

ˈkän-,

-kyü-

: a woman with whom a man cohabits without being married: such as

a

: one having a recognized social status in a household below that of a wife

b

: mistress sense 4a

Synonyms

• mistress
• lover

Examples of concubine in a Sentence

the offspring of one of the monarch's concubines

Recent Examples on the Web

Earlier in the season, it’s implied that Jinshi has a familial connection with Lady Ah-Duo, a concubine who has retired in the Rear Palace. —Kayti Burt, Time, 2 Apr. 2025

Her cleverness catches the eye of Jinshi, a beautiful eunuch who oversees the Rear Palace’s operations, and Maomao is soon promoted to lady-in-waiting and taste tester to one of the Emperor’s favorite concubines. —Kayti Burt, Time, 2 Apr. 2025

Soft, sheer fabrics rustled against the interior walls as Anula surged through the concubine estate. —Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 20 Feb. 2025

Faces painted white, surrounded by concubines of every gender, Emperors Geta (Joseph Quinn) and Caracalla (Fred Hechinger) are utterly taken with the barbarian who can recite Virgil while covered in another man’s blood, after Macrinus presents Lucius in a private showcase. —Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 21 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin concubina, from com- + cubare to lie

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for concubine

• acridine
• alkaline
• andesine
• anodyne
• anticline
• arginine
• asinine
• atropine
• benzidine
• borderline
• byzantine
• calamine

Kids Definition

concubine

noun

con·​cu·​bine ˈkäŋ-kyu̇-ˌbīn 

ˈkän-

: a woman who lives with a man and in some societies has a legally recognized social status in a household below that of a wife