Concubine
noun
A woman who lives with a man but has lower social status than his wife or wives.
In ancient civilizations, it was common for rich men to have concubines aside from their legal wives.
Often appears as...
- keep a concubine
- take a concubine
noun
In certain societies, such as those of ancient China, a concubine is a woman contracted to a man as a secondary wife, often for the purpose of producing heirs.
The emperor of china had a large number of concubines in his palace.
Often appears as...
- chinese concubine
- royal concubine
Usage tips
Formal
Historical
noun
A woman who lives with a man but has lower social status than his wife or wives.
In ancient civilizations, it was common for rich men to have concubines aside from their legal wives.
Often appears as...
- keep a concubine
- take a concubine
noun
In certain societies, such as those of ancient China, a concubine is a woman contracted to a man as a secondary wife, often for the purpose of producing heirs.
The emperor of china had a large number of concubines in his palace.
Often appears as...
- chinese concubine
- royal concubine
Usage tips
Formal
Historical
Definition 1 of 2
Pro Tip 1/3Social Hierarchy
Concubine implies a lower status in a household hierarchy compared to a wife.
The concubine could not dine at the same table as the man's wife.
Pro Tip 2/3Not Official
A concubine's relationship with a man isn't officially recognized like a marriage.
Even though she lived with him, she remained a concubine, not a spouse.
Pro Tip 3/3Cultural Specificity
The term is often tied to certain cultures or historical periods—be aware of context.
In that culture, concubines were common, but the practice is now outdated.
Pro Tip 1/3Social Hierarchy
Concubine implies a lower status in a household hierarchy compared to a wife.
The concubine could not dine at the same table as the man's wife.
Pro Tip 2/3Not Official
A concubine's relationship with a man isn't officially recognized like a marriage.
Even though she lived with him, she remained a concubine, not a spouse.
Pro Tip 3/3Cultural Specificity
The term is often tied to certain cultures or historical periods—be aware of context.
In that culture, concubines were common, but the practice is now outdated.
Pro Tip 1/3Social Hierarchy
Concubine implies a lower status in a household hierarchy compared to a wife.
The concubine could not dine at the same table as the man's wife.
Pro Tip 2/3Not Official
A concubine's relationship with a man isn't officially recognized like a marriage.
Even though she lived with him, she remained a concubine, not a spouse.
Pro Tip 3/3Cultural Specificity
The term is often tied to certain cultures or historical periods—be aware of context.
In that culture, concubines were common, but the practice is now outdated.
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Video examples
The politics of fiction...
of the favorite concubines, there's an area called The Gathering Place of the Djinn. It's between buildings. I'm intrigued by this concept. We usually distrust those areas that fall in between things. We see them as the domain of supernatural creatures like the djinn,
Video examples
How a concubine became...
Enslaved boys, or mamaleek, were trained to be elite military personnel serving the Egyptian Sultanate, while enslaved girls were forced to become concubines. As a teenager, Shajar Al-Durr became a concubine
Video examples
Fact-checking the Bible...
drinking game and so you know we couldn't use any of that stuff in fact we even had a word come from on high from the network don't even use the word concubine because they were terrified
Video examples
National Geographic...
the shot so and then the head of the Yakuza as concubine this is the head concubine of the head of the Yakuza so it was a very tense situation behind me where three
Video examples
The politics of fiction...
of the favorite concubines, there's an area called The Gathering Place of the Djinn. It's between buildings. I'm intrigued by this concept. We usually distrust those areas that fall in between things. We see them as the domain of supernatural creatures like the djinn,
Video examples
How a concubine became...
Enslaved boys, or mamaleek, were trained to be elite military personnel serving the Egyptian Sultanate, while enslaved girls were forced to become concubines. As a teenager, Shajar Al-Durr became a concubine
Video examples
Fact-checking the Bible...
drinking game and so you know we couldn't use any of that stuff in fact we even had a word come from on high from the network don't even use the word concubine because they were terrified
Video examples
National Geographic...
the shot so and then the head of the Yakuza as concubine this is the head concubine of the head of the Yakuza so it was a very tense situation behind me where three
Example 1 of 4
Quote examples
David Josiah Brewer
American Judge
It is Mormonism, Mohammedanism and heathenism and not Christianity which have proclaimed polygamy and debased woman from the sacred place of wife to the lower level of concubine. It is not Christianity which has sustained the social evil.
Quote examples
Munshi Premchand
Indian Writer
The world assumes that we are very happy with high mansions, fine carriages, servants and attendants, huge investments, and concubines. But he who is without the honor and strength of the soul can be anything but happy.
Quote examples
Ken Liu
American Writer
Whenever you talk about Chinese dragons, emperors, palaces, concubines - they conjure up a whole colonial argle-bargle that has nothing to do with historical reality.
Quote examples
Geoffrey Beene
American Designer
The greatest concubines in history knew that everything revealed with nothing concealed is a bore.
Quote examples
Jung Chang
British Writer
At the age of fifteen my grandmother became the concubine of a warlord general.
Quote examples
David Josiah Brewer
American Judge
It is Mormonism, Mohammedanism and heathenism and not Christianity which have proclaimed polygamy and debased woman from the sacred place of wife to the lower level of concubine. It is not Christianity which has sustained the social evil.
Quote examples
Munshi Premchand
Indian Writer
The world assumes that we are very happy with high mansions, fine carriages, servants and attendants, huge investments, and concubines. But he who is without the honor and strength of the soul can be anything but happy.
Quote examples
Ken Liu
American Writer
Whenever you talk about Chinese dragons, emperors, palaces, concubines - they conjure up a whole colonial argle-bargle that has nothing to do with historical reality.
Quote examples
Geoffrey Beene
American Designer
The greatest concubines in history knew that everything revealed with nothing concealed is a bore.
Quote examples
Jung Chang
British Writer
At the age of fifteen my grandmother became the concubine of a warlord general.
Example 1 of 5
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