Adultery definition

ə-dŭltə-rē, -trē
adulteries
See word origin
Frequency:
Voluntary sexual intercourse between a married man and a woman not his wife, or between a married woman and a man not her husband.
noun
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Consensual sexual intercourse between a married person and a person other than the spouse.
noun
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The definition of adultery is sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than his or her spouse.

Tiger Woods is an example of someone who committed adultery.

noun
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(biblical) Lewdness or unchastity of thought as well as act, as forbidden by the seventh commandment.
noun
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The voluntary sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than his or her spouse. The consent of both parties and penetration are required for adultery to exist. Under the common law, only a married woman could commit adultery, but most states now apply the term to married men as well. Also, in the states where adultery is still a crime, most statutes now provide that the unmarried sexual partner of a married person can also be charged with the offense. See also criminal conversation, fornication, and rape.
noun
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Sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse.

She engaged in adultery because her spouse has a low libido, while hers is very high.

noun
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(biblical) 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. (King James Version)

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(ecclesiastical) The intrusion of a person into a bishopric during the life of the bishop.
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Other Word Forms

Noun

Singular:
adultery
Plural:
adulteries

Origin of adultery

  • Middle English from Old French adultere from Latin adulterium from adulter adulterer adulterate

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • From the Old French scholarly form adultere (“violation of conjugal faith”) (in Bernard of Clairvaux, Sermons, 12c.), from Latin adulterium, from adulter. Replaced the older form avoutrie, from the popular Old French forms avouterie or aoulterie. Compare French adultère (“adultery”). Old English word was æwbryce (“breach of lawful marriage”).

    From Wiktionary

Adultery Sentence Examples

  • The penalty for adultery was the loss of the eyes,.

  • When a divorce is obtained because of adultery, permission of the guilty party to marry again is in the discretion of the court.

  • Nothing of the sort, but there's a difference between con­senting adults and adultery.

  • A horrible reign of terror ensued, in the course of which the ex-tsaritsa Eudoxia was dragged from her monastery and publicly tried for alleged adultery, while all who had in any way befriended Alexius were impaled, broken on the wheel and otherwise lingeringly done to death.

  • Society is described as honeycombed with crimes and vices; prophets, priests, princes and the people generally are said to practise unblushingly extortion, oppression, murder, falsehood, adultery (xxii.).

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