bigamy

noun

big·​a·​my ˈbi-gə-mē 

law : the act of entering into a marriage with one person while still legally married to another

was accused of bigamy

bigamist

ˈbi-gə-mist 

noun

Examples of bigamy in a Sentence

He was accused of bigamy.

Recent Examples on the Web

Not of the bigamy, nor of baby Patricia, born on April 20, 1953, in Brooklyn, and baptized at St. Patrick’s Church in Bay Ridge three months later. —Sarah Weinman, Rolling Stone, 1 Dec. 2024

Answer: Treason, murder, obstruction, theft, smuggling, piracy, mutiny, desertion, bigamy, dueling, accepting the land grant on the Ridge under false pretenses. —Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 23 July 2024

But with no-fault divorces, a couple could split amiably, without accusing or proving anything like bigamy or fraud or abandonment. —Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 24 May 2024

May 30: Future U.S. President Andrew Jackson shoots and kills American attorney Charles Dickinson in a duel after Dickinson accused Jackson's wife of bigamy. —John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 8 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English bigamie, from Medieval Latin bigamia, from Latin bi- + Late Latin -gamia -gamy

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

bigamy

noun

big·​a·​my ˈbig-ə-mē 

: the act of marrying one person while still legally married to another

bigamist

-məst 

noun

bigamous

-məs

adjective

bigamously adverb

Etymology

Middle English bigamie "bigamy," derived from Latin bi- "two" and Greek gamia "marriage"

Legal Definition

bigamy

noun

big·​a·​my ˈbi-gə-mē 

: the crime of marrying someone while still legally married to someone else compare polygamy

bigamist

-mist 

noun

Etymology

Medieval Latin bigamia, ultimately from Latin bi- two + Greek gamos marriage