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.
Since polygamist marriages are not legally recognized in the United States, the “spiritual unions” usually end with an announcement rather than a divorce or legal filing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 12, 2024
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
She’s a former member of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, or FLDS, a polygamist offshoot of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
From Washington Times ● Feb. 2, 2023
She is a former member of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, or FLDS, a polygamist offshoot of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 2, 2023
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.
