polygamist
Americannoun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of polygamist
First recorded in 1630–40; polygam(y) + -ist
Explanation
A polygamist is a person who has more than one spouse, such as a polygamist who has three wives and 15 children. Having more than one spouse, a polygamist is a busy person. Polygamist comes from the Greek: poly- means "many" and gamos means "marriage." So by definition, a polygamist can be a man with multiple wives or a woman with multiple husbands. The thing to remember is that the marriages are on-going. A person who gets a divorce and is later remarried is not a polygamist.
Vocabulary lists containing polygamist
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 executive producers include two daughters of Jacob Zuma - South Africa's former president and a proud polygamist who is greatly respected by his supporters for upholding his cultural and traditional Zulu beliefs.
From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026
Garrison was introduced in 2010 during the debut season of the “Sister Wives” reality series, which chronicles the highs and lows of a polygamist family headed by Kody.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 5, 2025
They also revealed that Joseph Smith, contrary to church teachings at the time, had in fact been a prolific polygamist, despite Emma’s vocal protestations.
From New York Times ● Feb. 23, 2023
An Arizona woman arrested Thursday leaving a Spokane Airbnb with eight girls believed to be wives of a polygamist has been ordered home to face federal charges.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 6, 2022
Aguirre-Sacasa had been a writer for HBO’s acclaimed Big Love, a drama about a polygamist Mormon family.
From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove
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.
