1. the practice or condition of having more than one wife or female mate at the same time
Usage: anthropology, sociology

Examples

• Polygyny was practiced in some ancient societies and continues in certain cultures today.
• The anthropologist studied polygyny among pastoral communities in East Africa.
• In biology, polygyny describes a mating system where one male mates with multiple females.
• Historical records show that polygyny was common among rulers in medieval kingdoms.
• The legal system in most Western countries does not recognize polygyny.
• Researchers distinguish between polygyny and polyandry based on which sex has multiple partners.