polygamous

UK: /pəˈlɪgəməs/ US: (pə lig′ə məs)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

po•lyg•a•mous  (pə lig′ə məs), adj. 

1. Anthropology of, pertaining to, characterized by, or practicing polygamy;
   polygamic.
2. Botany bearing both unisexual and hermaphrodite flowers on the same or on different plants of the same species.

• Greek polýgamos. See poly-, -gamous
• 1605–15

po•lyg′a•mous•ly, adv. 

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

po•lyg•a•my /pəˈlɪgəmi/   n. [uncountable]

1. Anthropology the practice of having more than one spouse, esp. more than one wife, at one time.

po•lyg•a•mist, n. [countable]
po•lyg•a•mous, adj.: 

a polygamous society.

See -gam-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

po•lyg•a•my  (pə lig′ə mē), n. 

1. Anthropology the practice or condition of having more than one spouse, esp. wife, at one time. Cf. bigamy (def. 1), monogamy (def. 1).
2. Zoology the habit or system of mating with more than one individual, either simultaneously or successively.

• Greek polygamía. See poly-, -gamy
• 1585–95