Polyandry

noun

noun ·4 syllables ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A form of polygamy where a woman is married to two or more husbands simultaneously. uncountable, usually
  2. 2
    the state of having more than one husband at a time wordnet
  3. 3
    The mating pattern whereby a female copulates with plural males. uncountable, usually
  4. 4
    Sexual relations with multiple males, by a female or a male, human or nonhuman, within or without marriage. uncountable, usually
  5. 5
    The condition of having many stamens. uncountable, usually

Synonyms

All synonyms
bigamybeena marriagecommon-law marriagecompanionate marriageconcubinagedeuterogamy

Example

More examples

"Polyandry used to be common among the Sherpas of Nepal, where a band of brothers would often take a wife in common. When she died--of child-bearing or overwork--they would frequently marry her younger sister."

Etymology

From poly- + -andry.

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.