Bigamy Definition
bĭgə-mē
bigamies
noun
The criminal offense of marrying one person while still legally married to another.
American Heritage
The act of marrying a second time while a previous marriage is still legally in effect: when done knowingly, it is a criminal offense.
Webster's New World
The crime of marrying a person while legally married to another. The second marriage is void.
Webster's New World Law
The state of having two (legal or illegal) spouses simultaneously.
Wiktionary
Synonyms:
- levirate
- deuterogamy
- trigamy
- interpretative bigamy
- real bigamy
- plural-marriage
- unlawful polygamy
- polygamy
Other Word Forms of Bigamy
Noun
Singular:
bigamy
Plural:
bigamiesOrigin of Bigamy
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Middle English bigamie from Old French from Medieval Latin bigamia from Late Latin bigamus twice married Latin bi- two bi–1 Greek gamos marriage –gamous
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
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From Old French bigamie, from Latin bigamia, bigamus (“twice married”), from bis (“twice”) + Ancient Greek γάμος (gamos, “marriage”). In common terms, from bi- + -gamy
From Wiktionary
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