adultery

[ uh-duhl-tuh-ree ]

noun

, plural a·dul·ter·ies.

1. voluntary sexual intercourse between a married person and someone other than their lawful spouse.

adultery

/ əˈdʌltərɪ /

noun

1. voluntary sexual intercourse between a married man or woman and a partner other than the legal spouse

Word History and Origins

Origin of adultery¹

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English adulterie, from Latin adulterium, equivalent to adulter ( adulterer ) + -ium -ium; replacing Middle English a(d)voutri(e), from Old French avout(e)rie

Word History and Origins

Origin of adultery¹

C15: adulterie, altered (as if directly from Latin adulterium ) from C14 avoutrie, via Old French from Latin adulterium, from adulter, back formation from adulterāre. See adulterate

Example Sentences

Fault-based divorce, on the other hand, requires the partner seeking the divorce to provide evidence of their spouse's wrongdoing on specific grounds that also vary state-to-state, including cruelty, adultery, intemperance and abandonment.

From Salon

“How could I possibly do that with Bobby looking down from heaven? That would be adultery,” Ethel told friends who suggested she marry again, People magazine reported in 1991.

From Los Angeles Times

But adultery may soon be legal in the Empire State thanks to a bill that would finally repeal the 1907 law that is punishable by up to three months behind bars.

From Los Angeles Times

Trump's history of compulsive adultery and even his 34 felony convictions — which stemmed from an illegal "hush money" payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels — help burnish his image as a hedonistic misogynist.

From Salon

“It’s about marriage, adultery and regular church attendance,” she whispered, clearly pleased with her pithy elevator pitch.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• infidelity

More About Adultery

What does adultery mean?

Adultery is a consensual sexual relationship or encounter between someone who’s married and a person they’re not married to (who may or may not be married to someone else).

In other words, it can be between two people who are both married to other people, or between a married person and a nonmarried person. Typically, for something to be considered adultery, at least one of the partners must be married.

On the other hand, similar words like cheating, infidelity, and unfaithfulness can be used regardless of whether either person is married—they simply refer to a (usually sexual) relationship or encounter between people when one or both of them is in a committed relationship with someone else.

When it happens with someone other than one’s spouse, a long-term relationship (often called an affair), a single sexual encounter, or anything in between can be considered to constitute adultery. In some cases, a relationship may even be considered adultery when it’s nonsexual but intimate (this is sometimes called an emotional affair).

The word adultery is especially used in a religious context, in which it’s often considered a sin. For that reason, it’s often used with the verb commit. It’s also sometimes used in a legal context, such as during divorce proceedings. Adultery is a crime in some places (including in some U.S. states, though people aren’t often charged for it).

Adultery is associated with a considerable amount of stigma. The word adultery and its related terms are always used negatively and imply a critical judgment of such actions.

Someone who participates in adultery can be called an adulterer. Such people or relationships can be described as adulterous. The word adulteress specifically refers to a woman who has engaged in adultery. (It has been more common throughout history for women to be blamed—and punished—for adulterous relationships than men.)

Example: Adultery is a profound breach of trust in a marriage.

Where does adultery come from?

The first records of the word adultery come from the 1300s. It ultimately derives from the Latin verb adulterāre, meaning “to defile.” The same word is the basis of the English verb adulterate, meaning “to debase” or “to make impure.” Adultery involves adults, but the word adult is based on a different root.

“Thou shalt not commit adultery” is one of the Ten Commandments, and adultery is specifically prohibited by multiple religions and even some laws. In the past, adultery was sometimes used in a more general way to refer to any type of sexual activity considered sinful. Today, however, adultery typically means that at least one of the partners is married (whereas the word fornication is often used in a religious context to refer to any sex outside of marriage).

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to adultery?

• adulterer (noun)
• adulterous (adjective)
• adulteress (noun)

What are some synonyms for adultery?

• infidelity
• unfaithfulness
• cheating

What are some words that share a root or word element with adultery? 

 

• adulterate

 

What are some words that often get used in discussing adultery?

 

• commit
• affair
• marriage
• spouse
• husband
• wife
• sin
• sex
• extramarital
• relationship
• illicit
• divorce

What are some words adultery may be commonly confused with?

 

• adulteration

 

How is adultery used in real life.

Adultery is typically used in a judgmental way.

Is dating before your Divorce is final considered adultery? Find out here. http://t.co/fKhKWhtmZd

— Lawyers.com (@Lawyerscom) September 5, 2013

The @BostonGlobe examines adultery, the increased opportunities for it, and whether the stigma is gone: http://t.co/AnelCKR9fY

— Richard Deitsch (@richarddeitsch) December 21, 2013

– and I also hugely enjoyed Fleishman Is In Trouble by @taffyakner, which takes the US adultery novel, spins it and flips it on its head. It's smart and witty and now, brilliantly, Taffy has written a covid-era coda, a kind of CD bonus track, for @TheCut
https://t.co/0SjbfBMwgt

— David Nicholls (@DavidNWriter) July 9, 2020