harem

American  

[hair-uhm, har-] / ˈhɛər əm, ˈhær- /

Sometimes haram,

noun

• harems
  plural

1. the part of a Muslim palace or house reserved for the residence of women.

2. the women in a Muslim household, including the mother, sisters, wives, concubines, daughters, entertainers, and servants.

3. Animal Behavior. a social group of females, as elephant seals, accompanied or followed by one fertile male who denies other males access to the group.

4. Facetious: Sometimes Offensive. a group of women associated in any way with one man or household.

   I really resent it when our boss refers to us as his harem, though he's trying to be funny.

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harem British  

/ hɑːˈriːm, hɑːˈriːm, ˈhɛərəm /

noun

1. the part of an Oriental house reserved strictly for wives, concubines, etc

2. a Muslim's wives and concubines collectively

3. a group of female animals of the same species that are the mates of a single male

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Usage

In the meaning “a group of women associated with one man,” harem is used for humorous effect. But this sense is sometimes perceived as insulting by or to women because it implies that the man collects women like objects.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• harems
  plural

Etymology

Origin of harem

First recorded in 1625–35; from Turkish ḥarem “female quarters,” from Arabic ḥarīm “sacred or inviolable space, sanctuary; female members of a family; harem,” literally, “forbidden,” from ḥarama “to prohibit, deny”

Explanation

A harem is the part of the house in traditional Muslim society reserved for women — either wives, servants, or concubines. Technically a harem is just a living space for women in a society that tends to separate men and women, but when we use harem, we’re often using it in the sense of a room full of women that serve someone powerful, often in a sexual way. Harem can also be used to refer to any flock of doting, servile people that surround someone. A star musician might be surrounded by a harem of devoted fans...really devoted fans.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

harem harems

Like capybaras in the wild, zoo capybaras are polygamous, with one alpha male and several females forming a sort of harem.

From Slate ● May 27, 2026

His female companion, Mumtaz Begum, 22, was a courtesan on the run from the harem of a princely state and had been staying with Bawla for the last few months.

From BBC ● Jan. 11, 2025

Codde said the behavior was unusual not only because the bull elephant seal took an active interest in the pup but because he left his harem of female elephant seals unprotected, SF Gate reported.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 4, 2024

In your book you write about your great-grandmother who was in the Sultan Abdulaziz's harem.

From Salon ● Feb. 27, 2024

The Palace of Sargon II above Nineveh covered 25 acres and included more than 200 rooms and courtyards, including a brilliantly painted throne room, harem, service quarters, and guard room.

From "The Annotated Mona Lisa" by Carol Strickland and John Boswell

Bulls form harems, and other bulls try to poach from those harems.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 7, 2023

In nature, male zebras keep harems of mares and their foals, and it’s possible the zebra saw Mr. Clifton and the deputies as a threat to them.

From Washington Times ● Mar. 14, 2023

Closer to us, smaller beta bulls lower in the elephant seal hierarchy but still hoping for a shot at breeding lolled on the edges of the harems.

From Washington Post ● Feb. 3, 2022

The fund wrote that Hazel enjoyed her role as an "honorary grandmother" to foals from various groups – or harems – of the horses.

From Fox News ● Aug. 2, 2021

I remember walking in art galleries, through the nineteenth century: the obsession they had then with harems.

From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood