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Glite Dictionary
monogyny

monogyny

9.9
A man who has only one wife at a time
  • noun
  • /məˈnɑːdʒəni/
  • Specialized
: monogamia
  • Monogyny is the social structure where one man has only one wife at a time.

Examples

  • Monogyny is common among many bird species, where a male pairs with only one female.

  • The legal system in that country enforces monogyny and prohibits multiple wives.

  • Some traditional societies practice monogyny, while others allow polygynous marriages.

  • Many cultures practice monogyny.

  • In some societies, monogyny is favored.

  • The couple embraced monogyny as a way to strengthen their marriage.

  • In this culture, monogyny is the standard practice for forming family units.

Synonyms

monogamy
vsmonogyny
38 4.3

Being married to or having a sexual relationship with only one person at a time

focuses on having only one wife rather than one partner of any gender
monogamousness
vsmonogyny
8.0

The state of having only one spouse or partner at a time

is limited to having only one wife rather than a partner of any gender

Antonyms

polygamy
31 7.2

A marriage in which a person has more than one husband or wife at the same time

Surface Forms

monogyny singular
monogynies plural

Morphology

monogyny = mono + gyn + y

This is a classical coinage built from mono- and gyn- plus a nominal ending, but the second element is not a productive English morpheme for most learners, so the meaning is not readily inferable from the parts.

Etymology

Monogyny comes from Greek parts mono- meaning 'one' and -gyny from gynē meaning 'woman', the same root you see in gynecology. So monogyny literally means having only 'one woman' as a wife.