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
Examples of concubine in a Sentence
the offspring of one of the monarch's concubines
Recent Examples on the Web
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
Luckily for fans turned on by Shogun to the cunning machinations of feudal Japanese lords, swordsmen, concubines and ladies in waiting, the well of samurai storytelling that inspired Shogun and Clavell’s book is very deep indeed.
—Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for concubine
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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
Luckily for fans turned on by Shogun to the cunning machinations of feudal Japanese lords, swordsmen, concubines and ladies in waiting, the well of samurai storytelling that inspired Shogun and Clavell’s book is very deep indeed.
—Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for concubine
Cite this Entry
“Concubine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/concubine. Accessed 5 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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