concubinage

noun

con·​cu·​bi·​nage kän-ˈkyü-bə-nij 

kən-

1

: cohabitation of persons not legally married

2

: the state of being a concubine

Examples of concubinage in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This game-show spot rewards Kelce for his concubinage. —Armond White, National Review, 16 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Legal Definition

concubinage

noun

con·​cu·​bi·​nage kän-ˈkyü-bə-nij 

: the relationship between persons who are cohabiting without the benefit of marriage

—used especially in the civil law of Louisiana compare common-law marriage

Note: Under Louisiana law, concubinage does not give rise to any rights in the parties to each other's property.