polygamous

American  

[puh-lig-uh-muhs] / pəˈlɪg ə məs /

adjective

1. of, pertaining to, characterized by, or practicing polygamy; polygamic.

2. Botany. bearing both unisexual and hermaphrodite flowers on the same or on different plants of the same species.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• polygamously
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of polygamous

From the Greek word polýgamos, dating back to 1605–15. See poly-, -gamous

Compare meaning

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

• polyamorous vs. polygamous

Explanation

Someone who's polygamous has more than one husband or wife. Polygamous societies still exist, but it's more common for most people today to be married to one person at a time. You can describe someone with seven husbands as polygamous, and you can also use the word to describe an animal with several mates as well as a plant with a particularly varied reproductive system. The Late Greek source is polygamos, "often married," which combines the roots polys, "many," and gamos, "marriage."

Example Sentences

Like capybaras in the wild, zoo capybaras are polygamous, with one alpha male and several females forming a sort of harem.

From Slate • May 27, 2026

The new study supports this assumption: In polygamous mammals with strong competition, males generally die earlier than females.

From Science Daily • Oct. 28, 2025

Robyn, who was the last wife to join the previously polygamous group and is Kody’s legal wife, said her husband looked “really shocked” when he came into the room where she was working.

From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2025

The polygamous bridal party was among 55 marriages that took place there on Easter Sunday - a loud, long and joyous occasion.

From BBC • May 3, 2025

Flowers mostly regular, 3–5-merous, diœcious or polygamous in our genera.

From The Manual of the Botany of the Northern United States Including the District East of the Mississippi and North of North Carolina and Tennessee by Gray, Asa