concubinage

[ kon-kyoo-buh-nij, kong- ]

/ kɒnˈkyu bə nɪdʒ, kɒŋ- /

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noun

cohabitation of a man and woman without legal or formal marriage.

the state or practice of being a concubine.

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Origin of concubinage

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at concubine, -age

Words nearby concubinage

concretio cordis, concretion, concretionary, concretism, concretize, concubinage, concubinary, concubine, concupiscence, concupiscent, concupiscible

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use concubinage in a sentence

Yet rampant corruption, entrenched patriarchy, and a long history of concubinage also play a role.
Inside China’s Mistress-Industrial Complex|Junheng Li, Bethany Allen, Ana Swanson|February 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They were setting at defiance the laws of celibacy; they not only sought wives, but they lived in concubinage.
Beacon Lights of History, Volume V|John Lord
What can be said to the practices of polygamy and concubinage, which prevailed even in these golden times and in pious families?
Female Scripture Biographies, Vol. II|Francis Augustus Cox
Adoption is common, concubinage rare; each being on a level with marriage in respect to the status of the children.
The Ethnology of the British Colonies and Dependencies|Robert Gordon Latham

Under such rule, polygamy, concubinage, and adultery are not tolerated.
The Ethnology of the British Colonies and Dependencies|Robert Gordon Latham
Concubinage conjointly with a wife, is altogether unlawful for Christians, and detestable.
The Delights of Wisdom Pertaining to Conjugial Love|Emanuel Swedenborg

British Dictionary definitions for concubinage

concubinage

/ (kɒnˈkjuːbɪnɪdʒ) /

noun

cohabitation without legal marriage

the state of living as a concubine

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012