concubine
noun
a woman who cohabits with a man to whom she is not legally married, especially one regarded as socially or sexually subservient; mistress.
concubines
-
pluralof concubine.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
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.
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
As the choreographer read about this eccentric ruler — a gifted athlete with extravagant appetites and wives, kids, concubines and Rolls-Royces galore, who died in his 40s — a production took shape in his mind.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 17, 2022
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
In China, there were concubines — not what she wanted to be at all, but which proved human nature capable of different sorts of marriage.
From "Typical American" by Gish Jen
