adultery
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adultery
- /əˈdʌltəɹi/
Where it comes from
With change of suffix, from the Old French adultere (“violation of conjugal faith”) (in Bernard of Clairvaux, Sermons, 12c.), a learnèd borrowing from Latin adulterium, from adulterō. Replaced the older form avoutrie, from the inherited Old French forms avouterie or aoulterie, while keeping its suffix. Compare French adultère (“adultery”). Displaced Old English ǣwbryċe. Not related to adult.
noun adulteries
- Sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse. See more synonyms at Thesaurus:cuckoldry She engaged in adultery because her spouse has a low libido, while hers is very high.
- Lewdness or unchastity of thought as well as act, as forbidden by the sixth/seventh commandment; sinful sexual behavior as a category. Thou shalt not commit adultery.
- Faithlessness in religion. And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks.
- The fine and penalty formerly imposed for the offence of adultery.
- The intrusion of a person into a bishopric during the life of the bishop.
- Adulteration; corruption.
- Injury; degradation; ruin. […] you might wrest the Caduceus out of my hand, to the adultery and spoil of Nature […]
Similar: advowtry
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: criminal conversation, fornication, infidelity, adulterer, wife, divorce, adulterous, adult, cheating, extramarital affair, extramarital relations, liaison, unfaithfulness, two-timing, misconduct, affair
noun
Similar: advowtry
Translations
Every language
noun sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse
| Español | adulterio |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 간통 gantong, 불륜 bullyun |
| 日本語 | 不倫 furin, 姦通 kantsū, 姦淫 kan'in, .婚外性交 kongai seikō, 密通 mittsū, 私通 shitsū |
| 中文 | 通姦 /通奸 tōngjiān, 奸情 jiānqíng, 姦淫 /奸淫 jiānyín, 私通 sītōng, 外遇 wàiyù, 不倫之戀 /不伦之恋 búlún-zhī liàn |
| हिन्दी | ज़िना zinā |
| Kiswahili | zinaa |
| Português | adultério |
| Français | adultère |
| Deutsch | Ehebruch |
| Italiano | adulterio |
| Ελληνικά | μοιχεία moicheía |
| Română | adulter |
| Русский | супру́жеская изме́на suprúžeskaja izména, супру́жеская неве́рность suprúžeskaja nevérnostʹ, адюльте́р adjulʹtér, прелюбодея́ние preljubodejánije |
| Tiếng Việt | ngoại tình |
| العربية | خِيانة زَوْجِيَّة, زِنَا المُحْصَنَيْن zinā l-muḥṣanayn |
| עברית | ניאוף \ נֵאוּף ne'úf |
noun lewdness or unchastity of thought as well as act, as forbidden by the seventh commandment
| 日本語 | 姦淫 kan'in |
|---|---|
| Русский | прелюбодея́ние preljubodejánije |
| العربية | زِنىً zinan, زِنَاء zināʔ |
Talk about this word "adultery." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/adultery. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. adultery. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/adultery "adultery." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/adultery.Cite this
@misc{adultery_2026,
title = {adultery},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/adultery},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
