monogamy

/məˈnɑgəmi/

/məˈnɒgəmi/

Monogamy is when you are married to, or in a sexual relationship with, one person at a time. Humans are one of the few species that practice monogamy. Well, sometimes.

You may have heard of something called polygamy, which is having more than one spouse at a time. The difference between monogamy and its antonym, polygamy, lies in the prefixes. In Greek, poly means "multiple," while mono means just the opposite: "single." Therefore, if you are committed to one romantic partner at a time, you are in a monogamous relationship.

Definitions of monogamy

1. noun

   having only one spouse at a time
   synonyms: monogamousness

   types:

   monogyny

   having only one wife at a time

   serial monogamy

   a succession of short monogamous relationships (as by someone who undergoes multiple divorces)

   type of:

   marriage, matrimony, spousal relationship, union, wedlock

   the state of being a married couple voluntarily joined for life (or until divorce)