polyamory

noun

poly·​am·​ory ˌpä-lē-ˈa-mə-rē How to pronounce polyamory (audio)
plural polyamories
: the state or practice of having more than one open romantic relationship at a time
polyamorist noun

Examples of polyamory in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The descendants of Adam and Eve wander, murder, screw up, get drunk immediately after their most impressive actions, cheat one another out of blessings, engage in a spot of polyamory and then viciously regret it, do harm on the grand scale while doing good on the local one. Francis Spufford, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2024 The Dictionary Of Polyamory Words create possibilities, and the recent surge of interest in polyamory, or having more than one romantic relationship at a time, has introduced substantial amounts of new vocabulary. Georgi Gardiner, Discover Magazine, 19 Feb. 2024 The group is essentially a relatable and well-meaning bunch of attractive young people, who hang out in parks in the summer, smoking and sitting around a fire, some dabbling in polyamory, most occupied by their own romantic lives to a similar extent that they are engaged with activism. Catherine Bray, Variety, 17 Feb. 2024 If her parents are truly interested in polyamory, her mother might have been trying to prepare her for the possibility of other people becoming part of the family. Amy Dickinson, Washington Post, 5 Dec. 2023 By rejecting the mainstream social scaffolding about relationships, polyamory creates the need for more terms to describe innovative relationship structures. Georgi Gardiner, Discover Magazine, 19 Feb. 2024 There are four main negative responses to polyamory from monogamous‑leaning people: Ridicule and hilarity. TIME, 9 Feb. 2024 When the ladies discussed polyamory during last month's episode of The View, Goldberg encouraged her fellow moderators to be more open-minded towards the thought of ethical non-monogamy. Esther Kang, Peoplemag, 13 Feb. 2024 Jessica Fern, a psychotherapist who counsels people in open relationships, said Winter’s account adds a new layer to the growing catalog of nonfiction about polyamory. Alexandra Alter, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'polyamory.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1992, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of polyamory was in 1992

Dictionary Entries Near polyamory

Cite this Entry

“Polyamory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/polyamory. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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