Meaning & use
concubines
Last updated
Women who live with and have a sexual relationship with a man of higher social status without being formally married to him, especially in historical or polygamous societies.
See it in a sentence
The emperor's palace housed dozens of concubines alongside his official wife.
Historians study the political influence concubines sometimes held at ancient courts.
A note on using this word
The institution of concubinage had formal legal and social status in many historical societies, including ancient China, Rome, and the Ottoman Empire.
Words with a similar meaning
mistresses
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