concubinage
/kɑnˈkjubənɪdʒ/
noun
- A historical or legal arrangement in which a person lives with another in a relationship like marriage without being formally married, often with fewer rights.
- The law abolished concubinage and granted equal rights to all partnerships.
- In ancient Rome, concubinage was a recognized but less formal union than marriage.
- Historians study concubinage to understand family structures in past societies.
Synonyms