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polygyny (puh-LIJ-uh-nee) - n., the state or practice of having more than one wife.
Compare polyandry, having more than one husband, and polygamy, having more than one spouse/mate -- tho' the latter is often used as a synonym for polygyny. First used in 1780, either adopted from Ancient Greek polygýnaios, having many wives, or coined from the roots polygýnaios was compounded from, poly-, many + gunḗ, wife/woman.
---L.
Compare polyandry, having more than one husband, and polygamy, having more than one spouse/mate -- tho' the latter is often used as a synonym for polygyny. First used in 1780, either adopted from Ancient Greek polygýnaios, having many wives, or coined from the roots polygýnaios was compounded from, poly-, many + gunḗ, wife/woman.
---L.
