Concubine

Pronunciation: /ˈkɑŋkjəˌbaɪn/

Definitions of concubine

noun a woman who lives with a man but has lower status than his wife or wives

Example Sentences

A1 In some ancient cultures, a concubine was a woman who lived with a man but was not his wife.

A2 The king had many concubines in his palace.

B1 During the Qing Dynasty, concubines played important roles in the imperial court.

B2 The concubine was treated with respect and lived in a separate part of the palace.

C1 The concubine's relationship with the king was complex and often influenced political decisions.

C2 Historical records reveal the lives and struggles of concubines in ancient civilizations.

Examples of concubine in a Sentence

formal In ancient China, a concubine was a woman who lived with a man and had a lower status than his wife.

informal The king's concubine lived in a separate wing of the palace.

slang I heard she's his concubine on the side.

figurative The smartphone has become the modern-day concubine, always by our side.

Grammatical Forms of concubine

• past tense: concubined
• plural: concubines
• comparative: more concubine
• superlative: most concubine
• present tense: concubines
• future tense: will concubine
• perfect tense: have concubined
• continuous tense: is concubining
• singular: concubine
• positive degree: concubine
• infinitive: to concubine
• gerund: concubining
• participle: concubining

Origin and Evolution of concubine

First Known Use: 1250 year

Language of Origin: Latin

Story behind the word: The word 'concubine' originated from the Latin word 'concubina', which referred to a woman who lived with a man in a relationship that was not considered a legal marriage.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the term 'concubine' has evolved to refer to a woman who is in a recognized, but secondary, marital relationship with a man, often in a polygamous society. The connotations of the word have shifted to imply a lower status compared to a wife in many cultures.