adultery
uh-DUL-tuh-ree
/əˈdʌltəri/
Voluntary sexual intercourse between a married person and a person who is not their spouse.
Carries heavy legal and moral connotations; it is often used in divorce proceedings or religious texts.
The story behind the word. Derived from the Latin 'adulterare,' which meant to corrupt, defile, or alter. The idea was that an outside party 'altered' the purity of the marriage or the lineage of the children.
Word relationships
- extramarital sex: A more modern, descriptive, and less judgmental term.
- chastity: Refraining from extramarital or all sexual intercourse.
Commonly confused with
- fornication: Historically, fornication referred to sex between unmarried people, while adultery required at least one party to be married.
Word family
- adulterer (noun): A person who commits adultery.
- adulterous (adjective): Involving or guilty of adultery.
Collocations
- commit adultery
- grounds of adultery
- adultery laws
Example sentences
- "In many ancient societies, adultery was considered a property crime against the husband." Legal commentary on historical laws.
- "Thou shalt not commit adultery." A famous literary quote about the consequences of the act. (The Bible (Exodus 20:14))
Memory hook
ADULtery is for ADULTs who choose the 'OTHER' (alter) person. Altering the marriage.
When not to use
Do not use for unmarried couples; use 'infidelity' or 'cheating' instead.
Fun facts
- The word 'adulterate' (to make something poorer in quality by adding another substance) comes from the same root.
Related words
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