concubine

noun

con·​cu·​bine ˈkäŋ-kyu̇-ˌbīn How to pronounce concubine (audio)
ˈkän-,
-kyü-
: a woman with whom a man cohabits without being married: such as
a
: one having a recognized social status in a household below that of a wife

Examples of concubine in a Sentence

the offspring of one of the monarch's concubines
Recent Examples on the Web Nothing in the original text of the Ten Commandments prohibits a married man from sleeping with an unmarried woman, concubine or enslaved person. Kenneth Seeskin, Orlando Sentinel, 27 June 2024 Achilles, enraged that Agamemnon has stolen his war-prize concubine, vows to hang up his armor. Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2024 This large number likely resulted from his descendants taking many wives and concubines. Laura Clark, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 June 2024 Did putting his hand in the box have something to do with that? Jessica is a member of the Bene Gesserit who broke away from her sisterhood to be Leto’s concubine (their word, not mine). Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 29 Feb. 2024 See all Example Sentences for concubine 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'concubine.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin concubina, from com- + cubare to lie

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of concubine was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near concubine

Cite this Entry

“Concubine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/concubine. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

concubine

noun
con·​cu·​bine ˈkäŋ-kyu̇-ˌbīn How to pronounce concubine (audio)
ˈkän-
: a woman who lives with a man and in some societies has a legally recognized social status in a household below that of a wife

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