View synonyms for monogamous

monogamous

[ muh-nog-uh-muhs ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

adjective

practicing or advocating monogamy.
of or relating to monogamy.

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Other Words From

mo·noga·mous·ly adverb
mo·noga·mous·ness noun
nonmo·noga·mous adjective
nonmo·noga·mous·ly adverb

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Word History and Origins

Origin of monogamous¹

First recorded in 1760–70; from Late Latin monogamus, from Greek monógamos “marrying only once,” equivalent to mono- + -gamous

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Compare Meanings

How does monogamous compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

polyamorous vs. monogamous

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Example Sentences

Charlotte Bennett, a Cuomo accuser, told investigators that Cuomo had asked her if she was monogamous.

From Washington Blade

I very much believe in the idea of monogamous relationships.

From The Daily Beast

This group is designed to be a forum for people at all different stages to discuss polyamory and other consensual non-monogamous relationships.

From Washington Blade

We have polyamorous open relationships, married monogamous couples with children and so much more in between.

From Washington Blade

They told me that they were “monogamous for now,” though not out of preference, but by circumstance.

From No Straight News

The monogamous or safe-only gay man is a far safer bet than the unprotected hetero swinger.

From The Daily Beast

And so monogamous married people tend to “read” as gay or straight, but some may actually be bisexual.

From The Daily Beast

Fernandez-Duque discovered that owl monkeys are the only reliably monogamous mammal species.

From The Daily Beast

He and Turner, whose devoted relationship is “very deep and loving,” are not monogamous.

From The Daily Beast

There are open relationships and monogamous relationships and serious dating and sleeping around.

From The Daily Beast

Discusses the sex-customs now existing in the world, and their relation to the ideal of monogamous love.

From Project Gutenberg

There is no use talking to them about monogamous love, because all they understand is hypocrisy.

From Project Gutenberg

Let us first consider the question, just what are the true and proper implications of monogamous love?

From Project Gutenberg

So far in this discussion we have assumed that love means monogamous love.

From Project Gutenberg

It is a fact that Anglo-Saxon civilization has always refused legal recognition to non-monogamous marriage.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

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About This Word

What does monogamous mean?

Monogamous means having only one spouse, one sexual partner, or (in the case of animals) one mate.

Monogamous is used to describe people and animals that practice monogamy or to describe their relationships or practices. The word monogamy most technically refers to the state or practice of being married to only one person at a time. It is also commonly used in a more general way to refer to the state of being in a romantic or sexual relationship with only one person at a time. Less commonly, monogamy can mean the practice of being married only once throughout one’s life.

In the study of animals, monogamy refers to the practice of having only one mate.

A monogamous person can be called a monogamist. The term can also be applied to a person who advocates for monogamy.

Example: Monogamy may be traditional in our modern society, but monogamous relationships haven’t always been the norm in every culture.

Where does monogamous come from?

The first records of the word monogamous come from around 1770. It comes from the Greek monógamos, meaning “marrying only once,” from mono-, “single” or “one,” and -gamy, meaning “marriage.” The same root is used in the words bigamous (being married to two people at the same time) and polygamous (being married to more than one person at a time).

Though it has traditionally been associated with marriage, the term monogamous today is commonly used to describe people who are in a sexual relationship with or date only one person at a time. While monogamy is often seen as a traditional norm of human relationships, especially in Western cultures, not everyone shares this view. The phrase serial monogamy refers to the practice of being married several times in succession, or, more popularly, going from one monogamous long-term relationship to another. A person who does this is sometimes called a serial monogamist. Such terms are often used in a critical way that’s perhaps intended to suggest that monogamy is unnatural or unlikely to lead to fulfillment.