polyamory
Americannoun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of polyamory
First recorded in 1990–95; poly- ( def. ) + Latin amor “love” ( see amorous ( def. )) + -y 3 ( def. ); patterned after polygamy ( def. )
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It was a “serendipitous” win for a constituency that had not quite consolidated, said Ann Tweedy, a professor at the University of South Dakota School of Law, who has studied polyamory from a legal perspective.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2026
Per her author bio, Davis is now a force in the poly community, presenting workshops on polyamory and editing an online publication called “Polyamory Today.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 13, 2026
To put that in context though, while anecdotally polyamory seems to be increasing, a YouGov poll in 2023 claims only 2% of the country identifies as polyamory.
From BBC • May 26, 2024
But overwhelmingly 82% replied they were not polyamory and never would be.
From BBC • May 26, 2024
Other studies have also failed to find a telltale demographic that engages in polyamory.
From Slate • May 5, 2024
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
