Monogamy

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /məˈnɒɡəmi/

Definitions

1. A relational arrangement involving two people who commit to being exclusive to each other emotionally and sexually, often established through marriage or partnership
2. A relationship model characterized by the exclusive emotional and sexual commitment of two individuals to each other, typically recognized in societal structures like marriage
3. The practice or state of having a single partner at a time in a romantic or sexual relationship

Etymology: Monogamy looks like a plain combination of "mono-" (one) and "-gamy" (marriage), and that is essentially what it is. The Greek "monogamia" was built from "monos" (alone, single) and "gamos" (marriage), and in ancient Greek the sense of a single lifelong spouse was tied closely to marriage itself rather than to the broader idea of having one partner at a time. The word passed into French as "monogamie" and from there into English. Its path into English runs through French, so the spelling and much of the vocabulary of the form reflect that route rather than a direct borrowing from Greek. Because the word is built from familiar parts, its meaning has stayed close to its roots: one partner, one marriage. The "-gamy" element also appears in other words, such as "polygamy" (many spouses) and "bigamy" (two spouses), which share the same Greek base.

Synonyms: faithfulness, commitment, exclusivity

Antonyms: polygamy, infidelity