monogyny

American  

[muh-noj-uh-nee] / məˈnɒdʒ ə ni /

noun

1. the practice or condition of having only one wife at a time.

2. (of a male animal) the condition of having one mate at a time.

3. (in social insects) the condition of having one functioning queen in a colony.

4. Botany. the condition of having one pistil.

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monogyny British  

/ mɒˈnɒdʒɪnɪ /

noun

1. the custom of having only one female sexual partner over a period of time

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Other Word Forms

• monogynic adjective
• monogynious adjective
• monogynist noun
• monogynous adjective

Etymology

Origin of monogyny

1875–80; mono- + Greek -gynia, equivalent to gyn ( ḗ ) woman, wife + -ia -y ³

Explanation

Monogyny is when a man has only one wife, or a male animal has just one female mate. In the animal world, honeybees practice monogyny. Officially, monogyny among animals means that while the male honeybee (or spider, or ant, for example) will limit himself to a single mate, females are free to mate with many different males. This is the difference between monogyny and monogamy, in which both male and female sticks to one mate. Monogyny uses the Greek root mono, or "one," along with the Greek gunē, "woman."

Example Sentences

Male Australian redback and brown widow spiders facilitate monogyny – the practice of males mating only once – through “self-sacrificial mating behaviour” in a bid to increase their chances of paternity.

From The Guardian • Sep. 20, 2016