as in polyamory
the state or practice of being married to more than one person at the same time
Some cultures practice polygamy.
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Recent Examples of polygamy
More than 70 years ago, Arizona took an aggressive step to crack down on polygamy with a mass arrest in Colorado City whose effects are still felt today.
—
Jeremy Duda, Axios, 18 Dec. 2024
In Libya, Mustafa Abdel-Jalil, the leader of the National Transitional Council, ended a ban on polygamy in his maiden speech to the country.
—Sanam Naraghi Anderlini, Foreign Affairs, 17 Feb. 2017
The Sister Wives star, 52, chronicles her journey within and away from Mormonism and polygamy in Sister Wife: A Memoir of Faith, Family and Finding Freedom, set to debut in September 2025.
—Rachel Raposas, People.com, 4 Mar. 2025
The Brown family were members of the Apostolic United Brethren, a fundamentalist Mormon group that practices polygamy.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, People.com, 4 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for polygamy
Jeremy Duda, Axios, 18 Dec. 2024
In Libya, Mustafa Abdel-Jalil, the leader of the National Transitional Council, ended a ban on polygamy in his maiden speech to the country.
—Sanam Naraghi Anderlini, Foreign Affairs, 17 Feb. 2017
The Sister Wives star, 52, chronicles her journey within and away from Mormonism and polygamy in Sister Wife: A Memoir of Faith, Family and Finding Freedom, set to debut in September 2025.
—Rachel Raposas, People.com, 4 Mar. 2025
The Brown family were members of the Apostolic United Brethren, a fundamentalist Mormon group that practices polygamy.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, People.com, 4 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for polygamy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for polygamy
Noun
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If polyamory feels like a fashionable subplot for Bechdel to tackle, this is only because heterosexuals have recently discovered in it a promising balm for yuppie malaise.—
Andrea Long Chu,
Vulture,
16 June 2025
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Charting the group’s adventures in leftist activism, polyamory and animal husbandry, Bechdel pulls off a delicate balancing act.—
Sam Thielman,
New York Times,
20 May 2025
Noun
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But in her pursuit of everything, Alicia risks losing it all – because while female bigamy may not be a crime, the fallout can be life-altering.—
Anna Marie de la Fuente,
Variety,
31 July 2025
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Toni Heath Johnson has various felony convictions dating back to the 1980s, including forgery, credit card theft and bigamy.—
Zach Schonfeld,
The Hill,
23 June 2025
Noun
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One particular enemy of Gauguin’s was Bishop Martin, a Catholic priest on Hiva Oa who did his best to stomp out local custom, forbidding tattooing, Polynesian dancing, and the customary practice of polyandry.—
Alexandra Schwartz,
New Yorker,
11 July 2025
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For generations, anthropologists have argued whether humans are evolved for monogamy or some other mating system, such as polygyny, polyandry or promiscuity.—
Nathan H. Lents,
Smithsonian Magazine,
11 Apr. 2025
Noun
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For generations, anthropologists have argued whether humans are evolved for monogamy or some other mating system, such as polygyny, polyandry or promiscuity.—
Nathan H. Lents,
Smithsonian Magazine,
11 Apr. 2025
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For generations, anthropologists have argued whether humans are evolved for monogamy or some other mating system, such as polygyny, polyandry or promiscuity.—
Jonathan Granoff,
Newsweek,
29 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Polygamy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/polygamy. Accessed 8 Aug. 2025.
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