Standard Lemma guide

monogamous

adj · 6 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

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /məˈnɒɡəməs/
  • General-American: /məˈnɑɡəməs/
  • UK: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɒɡəməs
  • CMU ARPABET: M AH0 N AA1 G AH0 M AH0 S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Involving marriage to one person at a time.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Qualifier: strictly

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: polygamous

2

adj

Meaning 2

Characterized by mutual sexual and romantic exclusivity.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Exclusively engaging in mutually exclusive sexual/romantic partnership.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adj

Meaning 4

Having only one sexual partner at a time.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Topics: biology, natural-sciences, zoology

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adj

Meaning 5

Monogamic; having a simple flower with united anthers.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Topics: biology, botany, natural-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

adjective

Meaning 6

(used of relationships and of individuals) having one mate

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • monogamous marriage
  • monogamous for life

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: polygamous

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *men-der. Proto-Hellenic *mónwos Ancient Greek μόνος (mónos) Ancient Greek μονο- (mono-)der. English mono- English -gamous English monogamous From mono- + -gamous.

Across languages

Translations

38 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: միակին (miakin) — being married to one person at a time
  • Asturian: monógamu — being married to one person at a time
  • Belarusian: манага́мны (manahámny) — being married to one person at a time
  • Belarusian: аднашлю́бны (adnašljúbny) — being married to one person at a time
  • Catalan: monògam — being married to one person at a time
  • Chinese Mandarin: 一夫一妻 (yī fū yī qī) — being married to one person at a time
  • Chinese Mandarin: 一夫一妻制 (yī fū yī qī zhì) — being married to one person at a time
  • Danish: monogam — being married to one person at a time
  • Esperanto: monogamia — being married to one person at a time
  • Esperanto: monogama — being married to one person at a time
  • Finnish: yksiavioinen — being married to one person at a time
  • French: monogame — being married to one person at a time
  • German: monogam — being married to one person at a time
  • Hungarian: monogám — being married to one person at a time
  • Hungarian: egynejű — being married to one person at a time
  • Icelandic: einkvænis- — being married to one person at a time
  • Icelandic: sem aðhyllist einkvæni — being married to one person at a time
  • Ido: monogama — being married to one person at a time
  • Irish: aonchéileach — being married to one person at a time
  • Irish: monagamach — being married to one person at a time
  • Italian: monogamo — being married to one person at a time
  • Japanese: 一夫一婦の (ippuippu no) — being married to one person at a time
  • Polish: monogamiczny — being married to one person at a time
  • Portuguese: monógamo — being married to one person at a time
  • Russian: монога́мный (monogámnyj) — being married to one person at a time
  • Russian: единобра́чный (jedinobráčnyj) — being married to one person at a time
  • Spanish: monógamo — being married to one person at a time
  • Swedish: monogam — being married to one person at a time
  • Thai: ผัวเดียวเมียเดียว (pǔua-diao-miia-diao) — being married to one person at a time
  • Turkish: tekeşli — being married to one person at a time
  • Ukrainian: монога́мний (monohámnyj) — being married to one person at a time
  • Ukrainian: одношлю́бний (odnošljúbnyj) — being married to one person at a time
  • Catalan: monògam — having only one sexual partner at a time
  • German: monogam — having only one sexual partner at a time
  • Hungarian: monogám — having only one sexual partner at a time
  • Irish: aonchéileach — having only one sexual partner at a time
  • Irish: monagamach — having only one sexual partner at a time
  • Portuguese: monógamo — having only one sexual partner at a time
Real reading context

monogamous in complete knowledge articles