kept woman
1
8.4
- noun
- /kɛpt ˈwʊmən/
- NSFW
:
mujer mantenida
- The novel explores the life of a kept woman who navigates love and financial dependence.
Examples
-
He often criticized her for being a kept woman, but she enjoyed the lifestyle he provided.
-
I won't be a kept woman.
Fiction book (1991) -
You want to know whether my mother was a kept woman?
-
Only kept women did such things.
Fiction book (1991) -
I'm ready to be a kept woman.
-
I kind of like the idea of you as a kept woman, it's sexy.
-
I'm a kept woman, Frank, how else do you expect me to feel?
-
She tells Ruby that she has "been a kept woman ... until recently.
Blog text (28) -
After years in an unequal relationship, she finally embraced her identity as a kept woman to seek independence.
Synonyms
151
7.2
A woman who has a long sexual relationship with a married man
24
9.1
A woman who lives with a man she is not married to and has less respect than his wife
1
9.5
A woman who has a sexual relationship with a man who supports her financially
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is largely compositionally built from 'kept' (supported, maintained) + 'woman', so a B1 learner who knows both words will likely infer it refers to a woman who is financially supported. However, the expression carries a specific social/romantic and slightly derogatory nuance (usually maintained by a lover, often extramarital) that may not be fully predictable without prior exposure.
Etymology
The noun kept woman comes from the old use of kept meaning 'paid for' or 'supported'. It paints the picture of a woman whose home and money are provided by a lover, which is why it means 'a woman who is financially supported by a lover, often outside marriage'.