What does concubinage mean?
Concubinage is a noun denoting the practice of living together and maintaining a sexual relationship without marriage. Historically, it carried a more specific meaning: the condition of a concubine — a woman who occupied a recognized but socially inferior position as a man's secondary partner, often in societies where polygamy or formal concubinage was legally sanctioned. In modern English the word survives chiefly in formal, legal, historical, and anthropological writing. Canon law and civil law have long used it to describe illicit unions of clergy, and historians apply it to arrangements ranging from Roman concubinatus to medieval clerical relationships. Today, when ordinary couples cohabit without marrying, English speakers overwhelmingly say 'cohabitation' or 'living together'; 'concubinage' sounds antiquated and can carry judgmental or exoticizing overtones. It derives from Latin roots meaning 'to lie with', and its rarity gives writing that uses it a distinctly scholarly flavor.
nounThe state or practice of cohabiting and having a sexual relationship without being married; historically, the condition of a concubine in relation to her partner.
- The practice of cohabiting and engaging in a sexual relationship without marriage.
- Historically, the status or condition of a concubine in relation to a man she serves as a secondary wife or sexual companion.
"In medieval Europe, clerical concubinage was widespread despite formal prohibitions against it."
"The couple entered concubinage rather than marry, to the disapproval of their families."
"Church records from the period document frequent instances of priestly concubinage."
Rarely pluralized, since the word usually denotes an uncountable practice or state; the plural appears mainly when referring to multiple distinct instances across different societies or periods.
"The study compared forms of concubinages across several medieval cultures."
For centuries, 'concubinage' was a scandalous word for what millions of couples now do without a second thought — simply living together.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of concubinage
Concubinage comes from the Latin 'concubinatus', itself derived from 'concubina' (concubine), from 'concumbere' — 'to lie down with' — formed from 'con-' ('with') and 'cubare' ('to lie'). It passed into English via French in the late Middle Ages, with the noun well established by the sixteenth century. Cognate forms include 'concubine' and the adjective 'concubinary'; the same root 'cubare' also underlies words such as 'cubiculum' (a bedchamber), whence 'cubicle', and 'incumbent', from 'incumbere' ('to lie upon').
Related word forms
How concubinage is actually used
Concubinage is a formal, somewhat archaic term. In modern usage it appears mostly in legal, historical, or anthropological contexts; everyday speech prefers 'cohabitation' or 'living together'. The historical sense referring specifically to a concubine's status carries connotations of social inequality and is now largely confined to discussions of ancient or non-Western societies.
Easily confused with concubinage
Concurrence means agreement or happening at the same time, whereas concubinage refers to unmarried cohabitation with a sexual relationship.