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.
/pəˈlɪɡ.ə.mi/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:P AH0 L IH1 G AH0 M IY2
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The condition of having more than one spouse or marriage partner at one time.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
Are there countries where polygamy is legal for both men and women?
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: agamy, monogamy, serial monogamy
2
noun
Meaning 2
Synonym of polygyny (“marriage of a man to more than one wife, the practice of having several wives at the same time”).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, especially, often, uncountable
Examples
Though Islam allows polygamy, it is frowned upon in many contemporary Muslim societies.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: polygyny
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
The state or habit of having more than one sexual mate.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Topics: biology, natural-sciences, zoology
Examples
An insect queen actually practices polygamy only one day, while for an alpha-male defending his harem is the very essence of both his status and polygamy.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
The condition or state of a plant which bears both perfect and unisexual flowers.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
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 spouse at a time
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Recorded since 1591, from Late Latin polygamia, from Ancient Greek πολυγαμία (polugamía), itself from πολύγαμος (polúgamos, “married to many”), from πολύς (polús, “many”) + γάμος (gámos, “marriage”). Relates to modern prefix and suffix poly- + -gamy.
Across languages
Translations
69 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
تَعَدُّدُ الأَزْوَاج
(taʕaddudu l-ʔazwāj)
— the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Belarusian:
паліга́мія
(palihámija)
— the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Belarusian:
мнагашлю́бнасць
(mnahašljúbnascʹ)
— the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Bulgarian:
полигамия
(poligamija)
— the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Catalan:
poligàmia
— the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Chinese Mandarin:
多配偶制
(duōpèi'ǒuzhì)
— the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Chinese Mandarin:
一夫多妻
(polygyny)
— the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Czech:
polygamie
— the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Dutch:
polygamie
— the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Esperanto:
poligamio
— the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Esperanto:
pluredzeco
— the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Estonian:
polügaamia
— the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Finnish:
moniavioisuus
— the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Finnish:
polygamia
— the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
French:
polygamie
— the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Georgian:
პოლიგამია
(ṗoligamia)
— the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Georgian:
მრავალქორწინება
(mravalkorc̣ineba)
— the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
German:
Polygamie
— the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
German:
Mehrehe
— the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
German:
Vielehe
— the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Greek:
πολυγαμία
(polygamía)
— the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Ancient Greek:
πολυγαμία
(polugamía)
— the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Gujarati:
બહુપતિત્વ
(bahuptitva)
— the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Hebrew:
פוליגמיה
(poligámya)
— the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Hindi:
बहुविवाह
(bahuvivāh)
— the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Hindi:
बहुसंगमन
(bahusaṅgman)
— the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Hungarian:
poligámia
— the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Hungarian:
többnejűség
— the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Indonesian:
poligami
— the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Indonesian:
pernikahan jamak
— the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Irish:
polagamas
— the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Irish:
ilphósadh
— the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Italian:
poligamia
— the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Japanese:
複婚
(fukukon)
— the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Japanese:
ポリガミー
(porigamī)
— the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Javanese:
wayuh
— the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Lithuanian:
poligamija
— the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Macedonian:
многубра́чност
(mnogubráčnost)
— the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Macedonian:
полигамија
(poligamija)
— the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Manx:
yl-phoosey
— the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Māori:
moe punarau
— the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Persian:
چندهمسری
(čandhamsari)
— the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Persian:
تعدد زوجات
(ta'addod-e zowjât)
— the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Polish:
poligamia
— the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Portuguese:
poligamia
— the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Romanian:
poligamie
— the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Russian:
полигами́я
(poligamíja)
— the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Russian:
многобра́чие
(mnogobráčije)
— the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Scottish Gaelic:
iol-phòsadh
— the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Scottish Gaelic:
ioma-phòsadh
— the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Scottish Gaelic:
iomnuachadh
— the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Serbo-Croatian:
poligàmija
— the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Slovak:
polygamia
— the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Spanish:
poligamia
— the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Swedish:
månggifte
— the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Swedish:
polygami
— the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Tagalog:
poligamiya
— the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Turkish:
çokeşlilik
— the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Ukrainian:
поліга́мія
(polihámija)
— the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Ukrainian:
багатошлю́бність
(bahatošljúbnistʹ)
— the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Welsh:
amlbriodas
— the having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time — see also polygyny, polyandry
Dutch:
polygamie
— zoology: the state or habit of having more than one mate
Finnish:
polygamia
— zoology: the state or habit of having more than one mate
Hindi:
बहुसंगमन
(bahusaṅgman)
— zoology: the state or habit of having more than one mate
Japanese:
多婚性
(takonsei)
— zoology: the state or habit of having more than one mate
Polish:
poligamia
— zoology: the state or habit of having more than one mate
Catalan:
poligàmia
— botany: the condition or state of a plant which bears both perfect and unisexual flowers
Dutch:
polygamie
— botany: the condition or state of a plant which bears both perfect and unisexual flowers
Finnish:
polygamia
— botany: the condition or state of a plant which bears both perfect and unisexual flowers
