concubine

American  

[kong-kyuh-bahyn, kon-] / ˈkɒŋ kjəˌbaɪn, ˈkɒn- /

noun

• concubines
  plural

1. a woman who cohabits with a man to whom she is not legally married, especially one regarded as socially or sexually subservient; mistress.

2. (among polygamous peoples) a secondary wife, usually of inferior rank.

3. (especially formerly in Muslim societies) a woman residing in a harem and kept, as by a sultan, for sexual purposes.

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concubine British  

/ ˈkɒŋkjʊˌbaɪn, ˈkɒn- /

noun

1. (in polygamous societies) a secondary wife, usually of lower social rank

2. a woman who cohabits with a man

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• concubinary
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• concubines
  plural

Etymology

Origin of concubine

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin concubīna, equivalent to concub- (variant stem of concumbere “to lie together”; see con-, incumbent) + -īna, feminine suffix

Explanation

Throughout history, there have been instances when it was considered acceptable for an important man to keep a woman, not his wife, as a mistress. These women were called concubines, and they often were treated better than the man’s wife. The word concubine comes from the Latin verb, cubare, which means "to lie down." The word developed in Middle English in the 13th Century, and is another name for a woman taken as a mistress. The practice was common throughout history: the Bible includes many references to concubines, and in ancient China, a ruler might have had thousands of concubines, some treated well, some like prostitutes. Sad to say, the practice is still going on, acceptable in some countries today.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

concubine concubines

Cixi, once a concubine of the Xianfeng emperor, assumed power upon his death in 1861.

From Textbooks ● Dec. 14, 2022

Early on in the winsome new documentary about her life and work, Rita Moreno takes gently hilarious aim at Tuptim, the young Burmese concubine she played in the 1956 film of “The King and I.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2021

He must be rejoicing, telling the Emperor Charles that the king’s concubine is living her last hours.

From The Guardian ● Feb. 22, 2020

More than the sentimental figure of the concubine, this final image most memorably expresses the show’s central theme: the too high cost of war.

From New York Times ● Aug. 9, 2019

So in this clumsy way, my mother found out that Wu Tsing had taken his fourth concubine, who was actually just an afterthought, a foolish bit of decoration for his new motorcar.

From "The Joy Luck Club" by Amy Tan

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

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

In many cases, they openly lived with concubines, had children, and worked to ensure that their children receive lucrative positions in the Church.

From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2020

Criminals, slaves and concubines were tattooed, and some ethnic groups tattooed themselves to ward off evil.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 16, 2019

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

Related Words

• mistress