paramour

[ par-uh-moor ]

noun

1. an illicit lover, especially of a married person.
2. any lover.

paramour

/ ˈpærəˌmʊə /

noun

1. derogatory.
   a lover, esp an adulterous woman
2. an archaic word for beloved

Word History and Origins

Origin of paramour¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from the phrase par amour “by love, through love,” from Old French par “by, through” (from Latin per per ( def ) ) + amo(u)r “love” ( amour ( def ) )

Word History and Origins

Origin of paramour¹

C13: from Old French, literally: through love

Example Sentences

I have not made a fortune yet, and I want to find a partner, not a paramour.

From Los Angeles Times

Carpenter sings about her paramour’s love making her talk nonsense, leading to a sexy play on words with haiku-type outros.

From Salon

Why bother assembling at least two full royal courts without throwing in a jaded minister, a worldly wise paramour or a tart-tongued sibling?

From Los Angeles Times

“Leviss’ lawsuit is a thinly veiled attempt to extend her fame and to rebrand herself as the victim instead of the other woman while denigrating her former friend Madix as a ‘scorned woman’ and her former paramour Sandoval as ‘predatory,’” the TomTom Restaurant & Bar co-founder’s motion said.

From Los Angeles Times

He’d co-written the script, focusing on the tragic love story between a writer in Stalinist Russia and his devoted paramour.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• admirer
• beau
• concubine
• lover
• mistress
• sweetheart