Palimony
noun
noun ·4 syllables ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A form of alimony paid to a former partner in a nonmarital relationship. uncountable
"Who won, huh? Nobody. Used to be sex was the only free thing, No longer. Alimony… palimony… it's all financial. Love is an illusion."
- 2 support paid by one half of an unmarried partnership after the relationship ends wordnet
Example
More examples"Who won, huh? Nobody. Used to be sex was the only free thing, No longer. Alimony… palimony… it's all financial. Love is an illusion."
Etymology
Blend of pal (“close friend”) + alimony (“maintenance”). Coined by celebrity divorce lawyer Marvin Mitchelson in 1977 in suit of his client Michelle Triola Marvin against the actor Lee Marvin.
More for "palimony"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.