noun · academic
polygamy
/pəˈlɪɡ.ə.mi/po·LI·ga·my
the practice or condition of having more than one spouse at the same time
Examples
“Polygamy is practiced in various forms around the world.”
“Legal debates about polygamy often touch on gender equality.”
“Historians note that polygamy has different social functions in different societies.”
Band 8 sentence
“Academic discussions of polygamy must carefully distinguish cultural tradition from questions of gender equality and legal protection.”
Collocations
- practise polygamy
- legalize polygamy
Word family
Common mistakes
He polygamy two wives.→He has two wives / He practices polygamy.
Polygamies are common in history.→Polygamy is common in history.
Say it for a higher band
5having many wives→6bigamy→7+polygamy
Synonyms
polygyny
polyandry
Easily confused
polygyny
“Polygyny remains the most common historical form of polygamy in many regions.”
Related words
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In Family & Relationships
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