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
But experts say the male-only succession system is structurally flawed and only worked previously thanks to the help of concubines who, until about 100 years ago, produced imperial children.
—
Mari Yamaguchi, Twin Cities, 6 Sep. 2025
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
Royal gardens, peeling frescoes, and tiled mosaics are breathtaking in their beauty, but the zenith of any visit is a wander through the sultan’s harem, once home to hundreds of concubines and their eunuch guards.
—Ashlea Halpern, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Dec. 2018
See All Example Sentences for concubine
Mari Yamaguchi, Twin Cities, 6 Sep. 2025
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
Royal gardens, peeling frescoes, and tiled mosaics are breathtaking in their beauty, but the zenith of any visit is a wander through the sultan’s harem, once home to hundreds of concubines and their eunuch guards.
—Ashlea Halpern, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Dec. 2018
See All Example Sentences for concubine
Recent Examples of Synonyms for concubine
Noun
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But the specific French dispensation—the idea that a man’s erotic life exists outside the moral world of his other obligations, that the wife and the mistress are a civilized arrangement, that desire is sovereign—this mythology did not make the crossing with me, or did not survive it intact.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 May 2026
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It was inspired by a real-life account of a French diplomat who has a Chinese mistress for 20 years, seemingly unaware that his paramour is actually a man, and a Communist spy.—
Marla Jo Fisher,
Daily News,
4 May 2026
Noun
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History buffs, avid hikers, music lovers, wine aficionados, and beach bums will all find a town to love in the Old Dominion.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
9 May 2026
-
In addition to being sun lovers, many of the species on this list are heat- and drought-tolerant.—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Concubine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/concubine. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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