polyamory

American  

[pol-ee-am-er-ee] / ˌpɒl iˈæm ər i /

noun

1. the practice or condition of participating simultaneously in more than one serious romantic or sexual relationship with the knowledge and consent of all partners.

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Other Word Forms

• polyamorist noun
• polyamorous adjective

Etymology

Origin of polyamory

First recorded in 1990–95; poly- ( def. ) + Latin amor “love” ( see amorous ( def. )) + -y ³ ( def. ); patterned after polygamy ( def. )

Compare meaning

How does polyamory compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• polygamy vs. polyamory
• monogamy vs. polyamory

Example Sentences

It was a “serendipitous” win for a constituency that had not quite consolidated, said Ann Tweedy, a professor at the University of South Dakota School of Law, who has studied polyamory from a legal perspective.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2026

Expect curveballs — some may pitch polyamory, causing a near-existential crisis in a single who longs for a fairy-tale romance with one individual.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 12, 2025

But overwhelmingly 82% replied they were not polyamory and never would be.

From BBC • May 26, 2024

To put that in context though, while anecdotally polyamory seems to be increasing, a YouGov poll in 2023 claims only 2% of the country identifies as polyamory.

From BBC • May 26, 2024

Intriguingly, a few informal but large surveys from the rationalist community suggest that both complete monogamy and complete polyamory tend to be more satisfying than the “monogamish” middle ground.

From Slate • May 5, 2024