Monogamise

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To cause a person or society to adopt a practice of having only one spouse or sexual partner at a time
2. To bring a relationship or custom into a system where only a single marriage partner is permitted
3. To convert something, such as a marriage arrangement or social norm, so that exclusive pairing with one partner is required

Etymology: Monogamise is the British spelling of "monogamize," a verb meaning to make someone monogamous or to make a relationship exclusively one-to-one. It is built from two Greek elements: "monos," meaning "alone" or "single," and "gamos," meaning "marriage." Greek "monogamia" was the source of the English noun "monogamy," which entered the language in the 1600s, and the verb came later as a derivative formed by adding the verbal ending "-ise" or "-ize" to the noun's stem. The verb is a relatively modern formation. Its meaning is built directly on the noun: to monogamise a person or a relationship is to bring it into a state of monogamy. Because the verb was formed in English from a Greek-based noun, it is a technical-sounding coinage rather than an ancient word, and its meaning is fully transparent from its parts.

Antonyms: polygamise