Standard Lemma guide

polyandry

noun · 5 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.

  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: P AA2 L IY2 AE1 N D R IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A form of polygamy where a woman is married to two or more husbands simultaneously.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: monandry, monogyny, monogamy, polygyny

Broader terms: polygamy

2

noun

Meaning 2

The mating pattern whereby a female copulates with plural males.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

Topics: biology, natural-sciences, zoology

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Sexual relations with multiple males, by a female or a male, human or nonhuman, within or without marriage.

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

4

noun

Meaning 4

The condition of having many stamens.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

Topics: biology, botany, natural-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

having more than one husband at a time

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: polygamy

History

Etymology

From poly- + -andry.

Across languages

Translations

43 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: تَعَدُّد اَلْأَزْوَاج (taʕaddud al-ʔazwāj) — plurality of husbands at the same time
  • Azerbaijani: çoxərlilik — plurality of husbands at the same time
  • Belarusian: многаму́ства (mnohamústva) — plurality of husbands at the same time
  • Catalan: poliàndria — plurality of husbands at the same time
  • Chinese Mandarin: 一妻多夫 (yīqīduōfū) — plurality of husbands at the same time
  • Chinese Mandarin: 一妻多夫制 (yīqīduōfūzhì) — plurality of husbands at the same time
  • Czech: mnohomužství — plurality of husbands at the same time
  • Dutch: veelmannerij — plurality of husbands at the same time
  • Dutch: polyandrie — plurality of husbands at the same time
  • Esperanto: poliandrio — plurality of husbands at the same time
  • Estonian: polüandria — plurality of husbands at the same time
  • Estonian: mitmemehepidamine — plurality of husbands at the same time
  • Finnish: polyandria — plurality of husbands at the same time
  • Finnish: monimiehisyys — plurality of husbands at the same time
  • French: polyandrie — plurality of husbands at the same time
  • Georgian: მრავალქმრიანობა (mravalkmrianoba) — plurality of husbands at the same time
  • Georgian: პოლიანდრია (ṗoliandria) — plurality of husbands at the same time
  • German: Polyandrie — plurality of husbands at the same time
  • German: Vielmännerei — plurality of husbands at the same time
  • Greek: πολύανδρος (polýandros) — plurality of husbands at the same time
  • Hindi: बहुपतित्व (bahuptitva) — plurality of husbands at the same time
  • Ido: poliandreso — plurality of husbands at the same time
  • Ido: poliandro — plurality of husbands at the same time
  • Irish: polandras — plurality of husbands at the same time
  • Italian: poliandria — plurality of husbands at the same time
  • Japanese: 一妻多夫制 (issai-tafu) — plurality of husbands at the same time
  • Japanese: ポリアンドリー (poriandorī) — plurality of husbands at the same time
  • Lithuanian: poliandrija — plurality of husbands at the same time
  • Lithuanian: daugvyrystė — plurality of husbands at the same time
  • Macedonian: многума́штво (mnogumáštvo) — plurality of husbands at the same time
  • Macedonian: полиандрија (poliandrija) — plurality of husbands at the same time
  • Māori: wahine moe tokomaha — plurality of husbands at the same time
  • Persian: چندشوهری — plurality of husbands at the same time
  • Polish: poliandria — plurality of husbands at the same time
  • Portuguese: poliandria — plurality of husbands at the same time
  • Russian: полиа́ндрия (poliándrija) — plurality of husbands at the same time
  • Russian: многому́жество (mnogomúžestvo) — plurality of husbands at the same time
  • Serbo-Croatian: mnogomuštvo — plurality of husbands at the same time
  • Serbo-Croatian: poliàndrija — plurality of husbands at the same time
  • Spanish: poliandria — plurality of husbands at the same time
  • Swedish: polyandri — plurality of husbands at the same time
  • Ukrainian: багатому́жжя (bahatomúžžja) — plurality of husbands at the same time
  • Welsh: amlwriaeth — plurality of husbands at the same time