as in mistresses
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 concubines
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for concubines
Noun
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Back were the villas and the apartments, the chauffeurs and the mistresses swaddled in foreign luxury.—
Julia Ioffe,
New Yorker,
19 Oct. 2025
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In an examination of stigma, resilience, and the search for self-worth, Paul channels his mental health struggles into domestic service for mistresses and online rituals of cleaning.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
9 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The pride of Odysseus, the passion of Shakespeare’s lovers, and the dread facing Ivan Ilyich on his deathbed remain inextinguishable qualities of our inner lives.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
28 Oct. 2025
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For dog lovers, USA TODAY Pets is your ultimate resource — from training tips to health hacks and fun stories.—
Allison Moses,
USA Today,
28 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Concubines.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/concubines. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
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