polyamory

American  

[pol-ee-am-er-ee] / ˌpɒl iˈæm ər i /

noun

1. the practice or condition of participating simultaneously in more than one serious romantic or sexual relationship with the knowledge and consent of all partners.

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Other Word Forms

• polyamorist noun
• polyamorous adjective

Etymology

Origin of polyamory

First recorded in 1990–95; poly- ( def. ) + Latin amor “love” ( see amorous ( def. )) + -y ³ ( def. ); patterned after polygamy ( def. )

Compare meaning

How does polyamory compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• polygamy vs. polyamory
• monogamy vs. polyamory

Example Sentences

It was a “serendipitous” win for a constituency that had not quite consolidated, said Ann Tweedy, a professor at the University of South Dakota School of Law, who has studied polyamory from a legal perspective.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2026

Per her author bio, Davis is now a force in the poly community, presenting workshops on polyamory and editing an online publication called “Polyamory Today.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 13, 2026

To put that in context though, while anecdotally polyamory seems to be increasing, a YouGov poll in 2023 claims only 2% of the country identifies as polyamory.

From BBC • May 26, 2024

In her case, she believes her marriage has grown stronger for embracing polyamory because each partner has to work hard on sharing how they are feeling.

From BBC • May 26, 2024

My read of these studies is this: The current media portrayals of polyamory capture only a fraction of the complex, widespread, and diverse social arrangements that exist beyond monogamy.

From Slate • May 5, 2024