concubine
noun
a woman who cohabits with a man to whom she is not legally married, especially one regarded as socially or sexually subservient; mistress.
concubines
-
pluralof concubine.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The nizam’s court, with its sumptuous palaces, its concubines, its rituals and recitations of poetry and music, was the chief inheritor of the archaic grandeur of the moguls.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 4, 2026
However, sumptuary laws dictated what women could and could not wear, elite men kept concubines, and the Tang legal system considered women property.
From Textbooks ● Apr. 19, 2023
But Bracton does have a lot to say about monsters, duels, bastardy, concubines, sturgeon “and other royal fish,” the “pillory and the ducking-stool," and "a judgment with infamy.”
From Washington Post ● May 9, 2022
King Saud, Saudi Arabia’s second king, fathered 53 sons and 57 daughters with numerous wives and concubines.
From New York Times ● Dec. 30, 2020
When my brother accused Auntie of frightening our mother away, Auntie shouted that our mother had married a man named Wu Tsing who already had a wife, two concubines, and other bad children.
From "The Joy Luck Club" by Amy Tan
