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
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
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for concubines
Noun
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Providing relief and contrast are the sisters, daughters, mothers, wives, mistresses, and nursemaids, all of whom also have views on ideal social order.—
Adam Begley,
The Atlantic,
1 Dec. 2025
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His character, federal agent Nelson Van Alden, fathered two different children with two different mistresses.—
Ralphie Aversa,
USA Today,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The two games Sunday at SDSU should be a spectacle for hoops lovers.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 Mar. 2026
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Theme park lovers who yearn for the mines will have their wish granted in 2027 with the debut of Minecraft World.—
Jennifer Maas,
Variety,
21 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Concubines.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/concubines. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.
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