Usage
What does monogamous mean? Monogamous means having only one spouse, one sexual partner, or (in the case of animals) one mate.Monogamous is used to describe people and animals that practice monogamy or to describe their relationships or practices. The word monogamy most technically refers to the state or practice of being married to only one person at a time. It is also commonly used in a more general way to refer to the state of being in a romantic or sexual relationship with only one person at a time. Less commonly, monogamy can mean the practice of being married only once throughout one’s life.In the study of animals, monogamy refers to the practice of having only one mate.A monogamous person can be called a monogamist. The term can also be applied to a person who advocates for monogamy.Example: Monogamy may be traditional in our modern society, but monogamous relationships haven’t always been the norm in every culture.
Other Word Forms
- monogamously adverb
- monogamousness noun
- nonmonogamous adjective
- nonmonogamously adverb
Etymology
Origin of monogamous
First recorded in 1760–70; from Late Latin monogamus, from Greek monógamos “marrying only once,” equivalent to mono- + -gamous
Compare meaning
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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.
"Our results indicate that the ancestors of termites were strictly monogamous," Professor Lo said.
From Science Daily • Jan. 31, 2026
"The finding that human rates of full siblings overlap with the range seen in socially monogamous mammals lends further weight to the view that monogamy is the dominant mating pattern for our species."
From Science Daily • Jan. 22, 2026
As part of the search for the monogamous ideal, or an expression of anxiety about commitment, the practice is often time-limited.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 13, 2026
However, we are by no means the most monogamous creature.
From BBC • Dec. 10, 2025
The whole structure of the Karhidish Clan-Hearths and Domains is indubitably based upon the institution of monogamous marriage.
From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
