Standard Lemma guide

polyamory

noun · 1 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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  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˌpɒ.lɪˈæ.mə.ɹi/
  • British, Southern, Standard: [ˌpɔ.lijˈæ.m(ə).ɹi]
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /ˌpɑ.lijˈæ.m(ə).ɹi/
  • rhymes with -æməɹi

1

noun

Meaning 1

Any of various practices involving romantic or sexual relationships with multiple partners with the knowledge and consent of all involved.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *pleh1- Proto-Indo-European *polh1ús Ancient Greek πολῠ́ς (polŭ́s)lbor. English poly- Proto-Indo-European *h3emh3-der. Proto-Italic *amāō Latin amō Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Indo-European *-s Proto-Indo-European *-ōs Proto-Italic *-ōs Latin -or Latin amor Proto-Indo-European *-(i)yós Proto-Italic *-ijos Proto-Italic *-ios Old Latin -ios Latin -ius Latin -ia Old French -ieder. Middle English -ie Middle English -y English -y English polyamory From poly- + Latin amor + English -y.

Across languages

Translations

65 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: poliamorie — practices involving relationships with multiple partners
  • Arabic: تعدد علاقات الحب — practices involving relationships with multiple partners
  • Arabic: علاقات الحب المتعددة — practices involving relationships with multiple partners
  • Armenian: բազմասիրություն (bazmasirutʻyun) — practices involving relationships with multiple partners
  • Armenian: պոլիամորիան (poliamorian) — practices involving relationships with multiple partners
  • Asturian: poliamor — practices involving relationships with multiple partners
  • Basque: poliamodio — practices involving relationships with multiple partners
  • Basque: polimaitasuna — practices involving relationships with multiple partners
  • Basque: amodio anizkuna — practices involving relationships with multiple partners
  • Bulgarian: полиамория (poliamorija) — practices involving relationships with multiple partners
  • Catalan: poliamor — practices involving relationships with multiple partners
  • Chinese Mandarin: 多元之愛 /多元之爱 (duōyuánzhīaì) — practices involving relationships with multiple partners
  • Chinese Mandarin: 多元戀愛 /多元恋爱 (duōyuán liànài) — practices involving relationships with multiple partners
  • Corsican: puliamore — practices involving relationships with multiple partners
  • Corsican: poliamore — practices involving relationships with multiple partners
  • Czech: polyamorie — practices involving relationships with multiple partners
  • Danish: polyamory — practices involving relationships with multiple partners
  • Danish: polyamori — practices involving relationships with multiple partners
  • Dutch: polyamorie — practices involving relationships with multiple partners
  • Esperanto: pluramemo — practices involving relationships with multiple partners
  • Estonian: polüamooria — practices involving relationships with multiple partners
  • Finnish: polyamoria — practices involving relationships with multiple partners
  • Finnish: monisuhteisuus — practices involving relationships with multiple partners
  • French: polyamour — practices involving relationships with multiple partners
  • Galician: poliamor — practices involving relationships with multiple partners
  • German: Polyamorie — practices involving relationships with multiple partners
  • Greek: πολυσυντροφικότητα (polysyntrofikótita) — practices involving relationships with multiple partners
  • Hebrew: פוליאמוריה — practices involving relationships with multiple partners
  • Hungarian: tártszerelműség — practices involving relationships with multiple partners
  • Hungarian: poliamoria — practices involving relationships with multiple partners
  • Hungarian: többszerelműség — practices involving relationships with multiple partners
  • Indonesian: poliamori — practices involving relationships with multiple partners
  • Interlingua: polyamor — practices involving relationships with multiple partners
  • Irish: il-leannánacht — practices involving relationships with multiple partners
  • Italian: poliamore — practices involving relationships with multiple partners
  • Japanese: ポリアモリー (poriamorī) — practices involving relationships with multiple partners
  • Korean: 폴리아모리 (polliamori) — practices involving relationships with multiple partners
  • Latin: polyamōria — practices involving relationships with multiple partners
  • Manx: yl-lhiannanagh — practices involving relationships with multiple partners
  • Marathi: बहुकामुकता (bahukāmuktā) — practices involving relationships with multiple partners
  • Nepali: बहुप्रेमी (bahupremī) — practices involving relationships with multiple partners
  • Nepali: बहुस्नेही (bahusnehī) — practices involving relationships with multiple partners
  • Norwegian: polyamori — practices involving relationships with multiple partners
  • Persian: چندمهری (čand-mahri) — practices involving relationships with multiple partners
  • Polish: poliamoria — practices involving relationships with multiple partners
  • Portuguese: poliamor — practices involving relationships with multiple partners
  • Punjabi: تعدد عشق (tʻdd ʻśq) — practices involving relationships with multiple partners
  • Romanian: poliamorie — practices involving relationships with multiple partners
  • Romanian: poliamor — practices involving relationships with multiple partners
  • Russian: полиамо́рия (poliamórija) — practices involving relationships with multiple partners
  • Scottish Gaelic: ioma-leannanach — practices involving relationships with multiple partners
  • Serbo-Croatian: višeljublje — practices involving relationships with multiple partners
  • Serbo-Croatian: poliamorija — practices involving relationships with multiple partners
  • Slovak: polyamoria — practices involving relationships with multiple partners
  • Slovene: poliamorija — practices involving relationships with multiple partners
  • Spanish: poliamor — practices involving relationships with multiple partners
  • Swedish: polyamori — practices involving relationships with multiple partners
  • Thai: การมีคนรักหลายคน (gaan-mii-kon-rák-lǎai-kon) — practices involving relationships with multiple partners
  • Thai: พอลีแอเมอรี (pɔɔ-lii-ɛɛ-mɤɤ-rii) — practices involving relationships with multiple partners
  • Turkish: poliamori — practices involving relationships with multiple partners
  • Ukrainian: поліаморія (poliamorija) — practices involving relationships with multiple partners
  • Urdu: تعدد عشق — practices involving relationships with multiple partners
  • Vietnamese: đa ái — practices involving relationships with multiple partners
  • Volapük: mölöf — practices involving relationships with multiple partners
  • Welsh: amlgarwriaeth — practices involving relationships with multiple partners