adultery

noun

adul·​tery ə-ˈdəl-t(ə-)rē 

plural adulteries

: voluntary sexual intercourse between a married person and someone other than that person's current spouse or partner

also : an act of adultery

Did you know?

What’s the difference between adultery and fornication?

In case you were wondering, the words adultery and adult are not etymologically related (in other words, adultery didn’t grow out of adult in the way that punditry grew out of pundit). Although both words come from Latin and share the same first five letters, adultery is from adulterāre (“to pollute, defile, commit adultery”), a word formed ultimately from the Latin elements ad- “to, near” and alter “other.” English adult comes from adultus, which is the past participle of the Latin word adolescere (“to grow up”).

In legal use there is a difference between adultery and fornication. Adultery is only used when at least one of the parties involved (either male or female) is married, whereas fornication may be used to describe two people who are unmarried (to each other or anyone else) engaging in consensual sexual intercourse.

Synonyms

• cheating
• infidelity
• misconduct
• two-timing
• unfaithfulness

Examples of adultery in a Sentence

He found out that his wife had committed adultery.

She accused her husband of adultery.

Recent Examples on the Web

The article included other remarks related to Carter’s faith − such as the importance of the separation of church and state, a conviction born of Carter’s Southern Baptist upbringing − but the adultery comment opened a rift with Carter’s kin in Christ. —John Bacon, USA TODAY, 31 Dec. 2024

Here’s what to know about the legal proceedings of adultery in Texas. —Marley Malenfant, Austin American-Statesman, 9 Dec. 2024

The article included other remarks related to Carter’s faith — such as the importance of the separation of church and state, a conviction born of Carter’s Southern Baptist upbringing — but the adultery comment opened a rift with Carter’s kin in Christ. —Liam Adams, The Tennessean, 29 Dec. 2024

In Good Partner and a few other dramas—Bitter Sweet Hell, A Virtuous Business and Marry My Husband—adultery was the primary reason for divorce. —Joan MacDonald, Forbes, 5 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English adultrye, adultery, alteration (conformed to Latin adulterium) of avoutrie, advoutrie, alteration (with addition of suffix -ie -y entry 2) of avoutre, borrowed from Anglo-French avulteire, avouteire, going back to Latin adulterium, from adulterāre "to defile by adultery, commit adultery with, pollute" + -ium deverbal noun suffix — more at adulterate entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

adultery

noun

adul·​tery ə-ˈdəl-t(ə-)rē 

plural adulteries

: voluntary sexual intercourse between a married person and someone other than his or her spouse

adulterer

-tər-ər

noun

adulteress

-t(ə-)rəs

noun

adulterous

-t(ə-)rəs

adjective

Legal Definition

adultery

noun

adul·​tery

ə-ˈdəl-tə-rē

: voluntary sexual activity (as sexual intercourse) between a married man and someone other than his wife or between a married woman and someone other than her husband

also : the crime of adultery compare fornication

adulterer

ə-ˈdəl-tə-rər 

noun

adulteress

-tə-rəs 

noun