What does polygamist mean?
A polygamist is a person who is married to more than one spouse at the same time. The word is used for people living within polygamous arrangements, which may arise from religious, cultural, or legal traditions. It can refer to either a husband or a wife and does not automatically imply unlawful conduct, although laws against polygamy exist in many jurisdictions. The term is also distinguishable from bigamy, which specifically involves a second marriage while an earlier one remains valid, and from polyamory, which describes multiple relationships without necessarily making them marriages. Polygamy has appeared in the laws, religious practices, and political controversies of many societies. Understanding “polygamist” therefore requires attention to both the number of spouses involved and the cultural and legal framework in which those marriages exist.
nounA person who is married to more than one spouse at the same time, or who practices polygamy.
- A person who has more than one spouse at the same time within a polygamous marriage arrangement.
"The polygamist defended the right to live according to his religious community's traditions."
"The polygamist met with the couple to discuss the practical effects of their shared life."
"A nineteenth-century polygamist described the religious and legal circumstances that permitted multiple marriages."
Use the plural when referring to multiple people who each have more than one spouse.
"Several polygamists challenged the restriction on multiple marriages."
Polygamist joins Greek roots meaning “many” and “marriage,” putting its meaning neatly into two syllables.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does polygamist come from?
“Polygamist” was formed from “polygamy” with the suffix “-ist,” meaning a person who practices polygamy. “Polygamy” comes through Latin from Greek polygamia, combining polys, “many,” and gamos, “marriage.” The same Greek marriage root appears in monogamy, bigamy, endogamy, and exogamy.
Related word forms
How polygamist is actually used
The term can refer to either men or women and does not by itself indicate whether the person's marriages are legal, customary, or religious. It should be distinguished from polyamory, which does not necessarily involve marriage.
Easily confused with polygamist
A bigamist is married to two spouses while an earlier marriage remains legally valid, whereas a polygamist has more than one spouse in a recognized polygamous arrangement.
Polyamory is the practice of having multiple committed relationships, while polygamy specifically involves multiple marriages.