monogamy

[ muh-nog-uh-mee ]

/ məˈnɒg ə mi /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR monogamy ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

marriage with only one person at a time.Compare bigamy, polygamy.

Zoology. the practice of having only one mate.

the practice of marrying only once during life.

Nearby words

monofilament, monogametic, monogamic, monogamist, monogamous, monogamy, monogenean, monogenesis, monogenetic, monogenic, monogenism

Compare digamy.

Origin of monogamy

1605–15; < Late Latin monogamia < Greek monogamía. See mono-, -gamy

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for monogamy

As Davies tells it, monogamy did not have much of a grip on the upper levels of public life.
Murdoch on the Rocks: How a Lone Reporter Revealed the Mogul's Tabloid Terror Machine|Clive Irving|August 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He might have fallen off the monogamy wagon a couple of times after that, but I have to tell you, not very much.
Murder, Sex, and the Writing Life: Norman Mailer’s Biography|Ronald K. Fried|November 19, 2013|DAILY BEAST
With 50 percent of marriages ending in divorce, monogamy may seem like impossible ideal.
What’s So Bad About an Open Marriage?|Tricia Romano|November 11, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Open relationships can be idealistic, cynical, natural, negotiated, beautiful, or abusive—just like monogamy.
Demi Moore, Ashton Kutcher, Open Relationships, and Divorce|Tracy Quan|November 19, 2011|DAILY BEAST

The woman who said monogamy is a “bore” portrays the happily married wife on a global stage.
Carla on the Couch|Eric Pape|October 22, 2009|DAILY BEAST
Then tell Helen she doesn't have to marry, that, with the best intentions, the Church has made a muddle of monogamy.
Why Marry?|Jesse Lynch Williams
With the exception of the Khojur, of whom I shall presently speak, and the head sheikh, monogamy is practised.
Ten Years' Captivity in the Mahdi's Camp 1882-1892|F. R. Wingate
Monogamy without concubinage is now the rule—is taken for granted as right.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 8|Various
No man is born with an instinctive respect for the rights of any property but his own, and few with a passion for monogamy.
Mankind in the Making|H. G. Wells
That is why, in spite of a hundred disadvantages, the world will always return to monogamy.
The Man Who Was Thursday|G. K. Chesterton

British Dictionary definitions for monogamy

monogamy

/ (mɒˈnɒɡəmɪ) /

noun

the state or practice of having only one husband or wife over a period of timeCompare bigamy, polygamy (def. 1), digamy

zoology the practice of having only one mate

Derived Forms

monogamous, adjectivemonogamously, adverbmonogamousness, noun

Word Origin for monogamy

C17: via French from Late Latin monogamia, from Greek; see mono- + -gamy

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

Medicine definitions for monogamy

monogamy

[ mə-nŏg′ə-mē ]

n.

The practice or condition of being married to only one person at a time.

The condition of having only one mate.

Related forms

mo•nog′a•mous adj.

Culture definitions for monogamy

monogamy

[ (muh-nog-uh-mee) ]

A form of marriage in which one man is united with one woman. (Compare polyandry and polygamy.)

monogamy

noun

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of monogamy

Examples from the Web for monogamy

British Dictionary definitions for monogamy

monogamy

noun

Derived Forms

Word Origin for monogamy

Medicine definitions for monogamy

monogamy

n.

Related forms

Culture definitions for monogamy

monogamy