Meaning & use
adultery
Voluntary sexual intercourse between a married person and someone other than their spouse.
See it in a sentence
The couple's divorce was finalized after his adultery came to light.
In some countries, adultery is still treated as a criminal offense rather than a private matter.
A note on using this word
Adultery specifically requires at least one participant to be married; infidelity more broadly covers betrayal within any committed relationship.
Words with a similar meaning
infidelityunfaithfulness
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “adultery”, then compare your use with the examples above.
Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.