concubine

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   historical: a woman recognized as a man's sexual partner but given lower social or legal status than a wife

   The court record distinguished each concubine from the ruler's legally married wives.

2. 2
   noun

   historical: an enslaved or dependent woman kept for sexual access, especially within a royal or elite household

   The archive records that the captive woman was forced to serve as a concubine.

From Middle English and Anglo-Norman concubine, from Latin concubina, 'a woman who lies with a man,' based on concumbere, 'to lie together.' Historical systems varied widely, but the term usually marked a partner whose legal or social standing was below that of a wife.

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