as in mistress
a female other than his wife with whom a married man has a continuing sexual relationship
the offspring of one of the monarch's concubines
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Recent Examples of concubine
Some of them were married (or given as concubines) to Inca nobles, others became priestesses, and some ended up as human sacrifices.
—
ArsTechnica, 14 Aug. 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
See All Example Sentences for concubine
ArsTechnica, 14 Aug. 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
See All Example Sentences for concubine
Recent Examples of Synonyms for concubine
Noun
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Hindsight is a fickle mistress.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
4 Jan. 2026
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The musical, about a film director named Guido Contini contending with a midlife crisis, starred the likes of Antonio Banderas, Laura Benanti, and Chita Rivera—but Krakowski’s turn as Guido’s mistress was a highlight.—
Keaton Bell,
Vogue,
2 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Colorado Parks and Wildlife employees are in the crosshairs, caught between mountain lion lovers on the left and anti-wolf advocates on the right.—
The Denver Post Editorial Board,
Denver Post,
24 Jan. 2026
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For the Reese’s lovers among us, John Kelly’s chocolates provide an upscale take on the candy classic.—
Nicole Hoey,
Robb Report,
24 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Concubine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/concubine. Accessed 26 Jan. 2026.
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