adultery

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   extramarital sex that willfully and maliciously interferes with marriage relations

   Adultery is often cited as grounds for divorce.

2. 2
   noun

   Sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse. See more synonyms at Thesaurus:cuckoldry

   She engaged in adultery because her spouse has a low libido, while hers is very high.

3. 3
   noun

   Lewdness or unchastity of thought as well as act, as forbidden by the sixth/seventh commandment; sinful sexual behavior as a category.

   Thou shalt not commit adultery.

4. 4
   noun

   Faithlessness in religion.

   And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks.

With change of suffix, from the Old French adultere (“violation of conjugal faith”) (in Bernard of Clairvaux, Sermons, 12c.), a learnèd borrowing from Latin adulterium, from adulterō. Replaced the older form avoutrie, from the inherited Old French forms avouterie or aoulterie, while keeping its suffix. Compare French adultère (“adultery”). Displaced Old English ǣwbryċe. Not related to adult.

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