polygamous

adjective

po·​lyg·​a·​mous pə-ˈli-gə-məs 

1

a

: relating to or practicing polygamy

b

: having more than one mate at one time

baboons are polygamous

2

: bearing both hermaphrodite and unisexual flowers on the same plant

Examples of polygamous in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Meri was Kody's wife before the pair entered into a polygamous bond with Janelle Brown. —Dory Jackson, People.com, 13 Dec. 2024

Nonprofits have long struggled to provide services in Short Creek, where polygamous families are taught to be wary of outsiders. —Erin Alberty, Axios, 10 Dec. 2024

The Brown family patriarch was also previously married to Christine Brown and Janelle Brown through a polygamous arrangement. —Dory Jackson, People.com, 25 Nov. 2024

There, large polygamous families are crowded into single houses, and people say the parched land is not suitable for grazing their herds. —Kizito Makoye, The Christian Science Monitor, 30 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Medieval Latin & Greek; Medieval Latin polygamus, borrowed from Greek polýgamos "married several times," from poly- poly- + -gamos -gamous

First Known Use

1547, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

polygamous

adjective

po·​lyg·​a·​mous pə-ˈlig-ə-məs 

1

: of or relating to marriage in which a spouse has more than one mate at one time

2

: having more than one mate at one time

polygamist

-məst

noun

polygamy

-mē

noun

Medical Definition

polygamous

adjective

po·​lyg·​a·​mous pə-ˈlig-ə-məs 

1

: relating to or practicing polygamy

2

: having more than one mate at one time