concubine
C2Formal, Historical, Literary, Potentially Pejorative
Definition
Meaning
A woman who lives with a man and has a sexual relationship with him without being married to him, typically in a polygamous society where she has lower status than a wife.
Historically, a woman cohabiting with a man in a legally or socially recognized subordinate relationship, often with specific rights and duties. In modern usage, it can be used pejoratively or in historical contexts to describe a mistress or kept woman.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The term strongly implies an institutionalized or recognized, yet secondary, status within a household or society. It is not a synonym for a casual girlfriend or modern partner. Use is largely confined to historical, anthropological, or religious discussion, or as an insult.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in definition or core usage. Both varieties use the term in the same contexts.
Connotations
Equally archaic and formal in both dialects. The pejorative force is identical.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in contemporary general use in both regions, appearing primarily in historical, religious, or literary texts.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Subject] kept/took/had a concubine.She was a concubine to [Person].The [king/emperor]'s concubine lived in the palace.Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[No common idioms specifically with 'concubine']”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Used in historical, religious, anthropological, and gender studies to describe specific social and legal institutions.
Everyday
Extremely rare, except as a deliberate insult implying a low-status, illicit relationship.
Technical
Used in legal history and sociology to denote a specific category of cohabitation with defined rights.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The ancient law allowed a man to concubine a woman under certain conditions. (archaic/rare)
American English
- (No standard modern verb usage in AmE; the noun form is exclusive.)
adverb
British English
- (No adverbial form.)
American English
- (No adverbial form.)
adjective
British English
- (No standard adjectival form. Use 'concubinal' only in highly technical texts.)
American English
- (No standard adjectival form.)
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The story mentioned a king and his many wives and concubines.
- In some ancient societies, a concubine had legal rights that were inferior to those of a wife.
- The anthropologist's paper analysed the economic and dynastic functions of the concubine within the imperial court, distinguishing her status from both a slave and a primary consort.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: CONCERT + COMBINE. Imagine a king at a CONCERT who COMBINEs his musical enjoyment with choosing a new female companion for his court, who won't be his queen.
Conceptual Metaphor
OWNERSHIP/PROPERTY ("kept" a concubine, "taken" as a concubine), HIERARCHY (below a wife, within a household structure).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with "любовница" (mistress), which lacks the historical/institutional connotation. The closer historical equivalent is "наложница" or "сожительница" in a specific legal context. It is not simply "вторая жена" (second wife) without the implied lower status.
Common Mistakes
- Using it to describe a modern girlfriend or fiancée. Using it without understanding its historical/social specificity. Incorrectly pronouncing it as /kənˈkjuːbaɪn/.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the word 'concubine' most appropriately used?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is not polite in modern contexts. It is either a formal historical term or a strong insult implying a woman is in a subordinate, illicit relationship.
Traditionally, no. The term is historically gender-specific to women. The male equivalent in similar polygamous contexts is not typically labelled a 'concubine'.
A 'concubine' often implies a more formalized, sometimes legally acknowledged role within a household or society, whereas a 'mistress' suggests a secretive, extramarital affair without institutional recognition.
In most Western jurisdictions, no. The legal concepts of concubinage have been abolished. It may persist as a term in the historical analysis of law or in the legal codes of a few countries.
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