as in cheating
a sexual encounter or relationship between a married person and someone other than their spouse
adultery is the cause of many divorces
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Recent Examples of adultery
The Bible teaches that lying, stealing, adultery and coveting your neighbor’s property are sins.
—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
16 Mar. 2026
The facile novelty of adultery is its own mask, a sexy way of dressing up a deep, frightened longing for security.
—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
6 Mar. 2026
The Texas attorney general beat a 2023 impeachment trial on corruption charges and reached a deal to end a long-running securities fraud case but now faces a contentious divorce over allegations of adultery.
—
Meg Kinnard,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Feb. 2026
Its roots are in publicly paying penance for serious sins or crimes in the eyes of the church, like adultery or apostasy, which means renouncing the church and its beliefs.
—
Lianna Norman,
Florida Times-Union,
16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for adultery
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
16 Mar. 2026
The facile novelty of adultery is its own mask, a sexy way of dressing up a deep, frightened longing for security.
—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
6 Mar. 2026
The Texas attorney general beat a 2023 impeachment trial on corruption charges and reached a deal to end a long-running securities fraud case but now faces a contentious divorce over allegations of adultery.
—
Meg Kinnard,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Feb. 2026
Its roots are in publicly paying penance for serious sins or crimes in the eyes of the church, like adultery or apostasy, which means renouncing the church and its beliefs.
—
Lianna Norman,
Florida Times-Union,
16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for adultery
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adultery
Noun
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Researchers say this kind of chatbot cheating is common, increasing, and a significant warning sign.
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Throughout her time on the show, Batula experienced the ups and downs of her relationship with Cooke, which included multiple cheating allegations on his part.
Noun
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Heather Diehl | Getty Images More broadly, there can also be data-matching issues with Social Security numbers in ACA marketplace enrollment — meaning the lack of SSN may be a data issue, not misconduct, Oberlander said.
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Allegations of employee misconduct are taken seriously and investigated thoroughly.
Noun
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Kate divorced Jon, 48, in 2009 amid reports of infidelity surrounding her now ex-husband.
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Skratch also interviewed other sources for its story who alleged infidelity by Mickelson amid abrupt endings of memberships at other golf clubs.
Cite this Entry
“Adultery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adultery. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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