'Bigamy' definitions:
Definition of 'bigamy'
From: WordNet
noun
Having two spouses at the same time
noun
The offense of marrying someone while you have a living spouse from whom no valid divorce has occurred
Definition of 'Bigamy'
From: GCIDE
- Bigamy \Big"a*my\, n. [OE. bigamie, fr. L. bigamus twice married; bis twice + Gr. ? marriage; prob. akin to Skt. j[=a]mis related, and L. gemini twins, the root meaning to bind, join: cf. F. bigamie. Cf. Digamy.] (Law) The offense of marrying one person when already legally married to another. --Wharton. [1913 Webster]
- Note: It is not strictly correct to call this offense bigamy: it more properly denominated polygamy, i. e., having a plurality of wives or husbands at once, and in several statutes in the United States the offense is classed under the head of polygamy. In the canon law bigamy was the marrying of two virgins successively, or one after the death of the other, or once marrying a widow. This disqualified a man for orders, and for holding ecclesiastical offices. Shakespeare uses the word in the latter sense. --Blackstone. --Bouvier. [1913 Webster]
- Base declension and loathed bigamy. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
Synonyms of 'bigamy'
From: Moby Thesaurus
- beena marriage,
- common-law marriage,
- companionate marriage,
- concubinage,
- deuterogamy,
- left-handed marriage,
- levirate,
- leviration,
- love match,
- marriage of convenience,
- monandry,
- monogamy,
- monogyny,
- morganatic marriage,
- picture marriage,
- polyandry,
- polygamy,
- polygyny,
- trial marriage,
- trigamy