The common understanding of the way relationships form—from initial meeting, to becoming exclusive, to confessions of love, to moving in together, to eventually getting married and having kids—are all tied to the concept of monogamy, as are popular conceptions of romantic love such as finding "the one" or meeting "my other half. The opposite of monogamy is nonmonogamy, which includes approaches like polygamy, polyamory, open relationships, and more.
Consensual or ethical nonmonogamy has grown in popularity in recent years, with more than one in five people reporting they've been in a consensually nonmonogamous relationship before. In consensually nonmonogamous relationships, a person may have more than one romantic or sexual partner at the same time. Critically, all partners are aware of these other partners and happily agree to the dynamic—meaning it's not "cheating" but rather an intentional part of the relationship.
Monogamy is not inherently better than nonmonogamy, nor is the opposite true, according to Shuavarnnasri. Some people assume that nonmonogamous relationships are inherently less committed or less secure, but in fact, some research has found people in consensually nonmonogamous relationships actually tend to be more committed to their long-term relationships. They add: "Humans are complex and multidimensional, and our relationships will always reflect that.
The one thing every human needs is love, but the way that we each receive it can look different. There's conflicting research on whether monogamy has had largely positive or negative effects on societies that practice it. Some common arguments about the benefits of monogamy include that it promotes gender equality in comparison to polygamous societies, which have typically allowed men to marry multiple women but not the other way around and that it creates a more stable environment for children.
But many experts question these theories. The tradition of a father walking his daughter down the aisle is meant to symbolize the transfer of property to the soon-to-be-husband, which is further solidified by the bride adopting her husband's last name.
While that isn't to say that all marriages are patriarchal or that monogamous relationships are inherently oppressive toward women, Shuavarnnasri adds, it's important to note that monogamy has historically been an effective tool for systemically maintaining male dominance over women. Of course, many people today enter into monogamous relationships that are more egalitarian—but even so, the traditional division of labor in heterosexual relationships continues to have massive consequences for women's economic prospects.
Likewise, Shuavarnnasri argues that monogamy may not necessarily be the only or even the easiest context in which to raise a child. With the rising cost of living, education, and housing, many millennials like myself are confronted with the reality that a dual-income household isn't enough to maintain a healthy family.
This means that both parents have to work and make enough income to pay for day care since both parents spend most of their time working," they point out. This isn't to say that nonmonogamy is inherently better for society or families than monogamy is, Shuavarnnasri notes. Likely neither is better or worse than the other. The best way to start to answer this question is to examine what your desires are in relationships and where those desires come from, says Shuavarnnasri.
That means you'll need to really dig deep to understand your own authentic desires, separate from what might be expected from you by those around you. If you're currently in a monogamous relationship and want to talk about the idea of monogamy or nonmonogamy with your partner, nonmonogamous relationship coach Effy Blue recommends starting slow. Sharing an article you've read or a talk you've recently heard to kick off this discussion will eliminate potential tension around this topic. Avoid evangelizing about the benefits of nonmonogamy, she adds—simply come with a balanced, thought-out perspective on the idea that's open for discussion.
Talk about what you each think about monogamy as an approach to relationships as opposed to other, nonmonogamous approaches. It may also help to discuss how you each define what a relationship means to you in general. Here's Blue's full guide to talking about open relationships with a partner. Monogamy is a relationship structure between two people that is romantically and sexually exclusive; that is, they don't engage in this type of relationship with anyone else.
In comparison, people in nonmonogamous relationships may have more than one romantic or sexual partner at a given time. Both monogamy and nonmonogamy can yield healthy, happy relationships for those involved. It's just a matter of personal desires, needs, and preferences. Want your passion for wellness to change the world? Other Words from monogamous monogamously adverb Pairs usually mate monogamously for life … — Vincenzo Penteriani et al. What is the Difference Between monogamous and Polygamous?
First Known Use of monogamous , in the meaning defined above. Time Traveler for monogamous The first known use of monogamous was in See more words from the same year. Statistics for monogamous Look-up Popularity. Style: MLA. Get Word of the Day daily email! Test Your Vocabulary. Send us feedback. See more words from the same year. Accessed 11 Nov. More Definitions for monogamy. See the full definition for monogamy in the English Language Learners Dictionary. Nglish: Translation of monogamy for Spanish Speakers.
Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free! Log in Sign Up. As Davies tells it, monogamy did not have much of a grip on the upper levels of public life. What if gay marriage really will change the institution of marriage, shifting conceptions around monogamy and intimacy?
If you think about it, actual monogamy has never been the Western norm. He might have fallen off the monogamy wagon a couple of times after that, but I have to tell you, not very much. If we cannot justify monogamy by the facts of life, we shall declare ourselves for polygamy. My defense of monogamy is based upon the fact that I have never known any happy or successful "free lovers. I hope that none of my readers understands by " monogamy " any such system of spiritual strangulation. The third reason is that monogamy is economical of human time and thought.
Well, then I am surprised youve never noticed that such animals live in monogamy. A form of marriage in which one man is united with one woman. Compare polyandry and polygamy. New Word List Word List. Save This Word!
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