monogamy

[ muh-nog-uh-mee ]
See synonyms for monogamy on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. marriage with only one person at a time.

  2. Zoology. the practice of having only one mate.

  1. the practice of marrying only once during life.

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Origin of monogamy

1
First recorded in 1605–15; from Late Latin monogamia, from Greek monogamía, equivalent to mono- + -gamy

Words Nearby monogamy

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How to use monogamy in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for monogamy

monogamy

/ (mɒˈnɒɡəmɪ) /


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

  2. zoology the practice of having only one mate

Origin of monogamy

1
C17: via French from Late Latin monogamia, from Greek; see mono- + -gamy

Derived forms of monogamy

  • monogamous, adjective
  • monogamously, adverb
  • monogamousness, noun

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

Cultural 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.)

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.