polygamist
Americannoun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of polygamist
First recorded in 1630–40; polygam(y) + -ist
Explanation
A polygamist is a person who has more than one spouse, such as a polygamist who has three wives and 15 children. Having more than one spouse, a polygamist is a busy person. Polygamist comes from the Greek: poly- means "many" and gamos means "marriage." So by definition, a polygamist can be a man with multiple wives or a woman with multiple husbands. The thing to remember is that the marriages are on-going. A person who gets a divorce and is later remarried is not a polygamist.
Vocabulary lists containing polygamist
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.
Polygamist Tribhubana, in Switzerland for repairs on his heart, had earlier mentioned that he might go to the U.S. for further treatment.
From Time Magazine Archive
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
