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.
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
“Keep sweet, pray and obey” was a motto meant for the women of Warren Jeffs’ polygamist sect, the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 4, 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
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