noun
- a woman who lives with a man but has lower status than his wife or wives
Usage: historical
Examples
- In ancient times, wealthy men often kept concubines in addition to their wives.
- The king’s concubine lived in a separate wing of the palace.
- Historical records show that concubines had few legal rights.
- The practice of keeping concubines was common in many ancient civilizations.
- She was treated as a concubine rather than an equal partner.
- The emperor had dozens of concubines in his court.