concubinage

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

noun

cohabitation of a man and woman without legal or formal marriage.
the state or practice of being a concubine.

Origin of concubinage

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for concubinage

Contemporary Examples of concubinage

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

Historical Examples of concubinage

At no period of Roman history are there any traces of polygamy or concubinage.
The Truth About Woman
C. Gasquoine Hartley
But no one will blame the same student for living in concubinage with a grisette.
The Sexual Question
August Forel
Such a marriage was, indeed, nothing but a form of concubinage.
Museum of Antiquity
L. W. Yaggy
Widows are not allowed to re-marry, but may live in a state of concubinage.
Castes and Tribes of Southern India
Edgar Thurston
To compensate for this, concubinage was largely indulged in by the wealthy.
The Works of Hubert Howe Bancroft, Volume 2
Hubert Howe Bancroft

British Dictionary definitions for concubinage

concubinage

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

Word Origin and History for concubinage

late 14c., from Middle French concubinage, from concubin, from Latin concubina (see concubine).