Standard Lemma guide

concubinage

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: K AA0 N K Y UW1 B AH0 N AH0 JH Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The state of cohabiting or living together as man and woman while not married.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The state of being or keeping a concubine.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

cohabitation without being legally married

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: cohabitation

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Latin concubīnuslbor. French concubin Proto-Indo-European *-h2 Proto-Indo-European *-éh2 Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Indo-European *-eh2tos Proto-Italic *-ātos Latin -ātus Proto-Indo-European *-ikos Proto-Italic *-ikos Latin -icus Latin -āticus Latin -āticum Old French -age Middle French -age French -age French concubinagebor. English concubinage Borrowed from French concubinage.

Across languages

Translations

22 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: concubinat — the state of cohabitating while not married
  • Catalan: concubinatge — the state of cohabitating while not married
  • Czech: konkubinát — the state of cohabitating while not married
  • Czech: souložnictví — the state of cohabitating while not married
  • Dutch: buitenechtelijk samenwonen — the state of cohabitating while not married
  • Greek: συγκατοίκηση (sygkatoíkisi) — the state of cohabitating while not married
  • Old Irish: lennánacht — the state of cohabitating while not married
  • Italian: concubinato — the state of cohabitating while not married
  • Manx: colhiabbeeys — the state of cohabitating while not married
  • Māori: moepuku — the state of cohabitating while not married
  • Polish: konkubinat — the state of cohabitating while not married
  • Portuguese: concubinato — the state of cohabitating while not married
  • Spanish: concubinato — the state of cohabitating while not married
  • Spanish: amasiato — the state of cohabitating while not married
  • Spanish: amaño — the state of cohabitating while not married
  • Old Irish: lennánacht — the state of being a concubine
  • Italian: concubinaggio — the state of being a concubine
  • Italian: concubinario — the state of being a concubine
  • Latin: paelicātus — the state of being a concubine
  • Old English: ċiefeshād — the state of being a concubine
  • Swahili: usuria — the state of being a concubine
  • Tagalog: pakikiagulo — the state of being a concubine