concubinage
[kon-kyoo-buh-nij, kong-]
- 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
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for concubinage
Contemporary Examples
Yet rampant corruption, entrenched patriarchy, and a long history of concubinage also play a role.
Historical Examples
At no period of Roman history are there any traces of polygamy or concubinage.
The Truth About WomanC. Gasquoine Hartley
But no one will blame the same student for living in concubinage with a grisette.
The Sexual QuestionAugust Forel
Such a marriage was, indeed, nothing but a form of concubinage.
Museum of AntiquityL. W. Yaggy
Widows are not allowed to re-marry, but may live in a state of concubinage.
Castes and Tribes of Southern IndiaEdgar Thurston
To compensate for this, concubinage was largely indulged in by the wealthy.
The Works of Hubert Howe Bancroft, Volume 2Hubert Howe Bancroft
concubinage
- cohabitation without legal marriage
- the state of living as a concubine
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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
n.
late 14c., from Middle French concubinage, from concubin, from Latin concubina (see concubine).
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper