Adultery

Adultery
Adultery A*dul"ter*y, n.; pl. {Adulteries}. [L. adulterium. See {Advoutry}.] 1. The unfaithfulness of a married person to the marriage bed; sexual intercourse by a married man with another than his wife, or voluntary sexual intercourse by a married woman with another than her husband. [1913 Webster]

Note: It is adultery on the part of the married wrongdoer. The word has also been used to characterize the act of an unmarried participator, the other being married. In the United States the definition varies with the local statutes. Unlawful intercourse between two married persons is sometimes called {double adultery}; between a married and an unmarried person, {single adultery}. [1913 Webster]

2. Adulteration; corruption. [Obs.] --B. Jonson. [1913 Webster]

3. (Script.) (a) Lewdness or unchastity of thought as well as act, as forbidden by the seventh commandment. (b) Faithlessness in religion. --Jer. iii. 9. [1913 Webster]

4. (Old Law) The fine and penalty imposed for the offense of adultery. [1913 Webster]

5. (Eccl.) The intrusion of a person into a bishopric during the life of the bishop. [1913 Webster]

6. Injury; degradation; ruin. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]

You might wrest the caduceus out of my hand to the adultery and spoil of nature. --B. Jonson. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Adultery — is the voluntary sexual intercourse between a married person and another person who is not his or her spouse, though in many places it is only considered adultery when a married woman has sexual relations with someone who is not her husband. In… …   Wikipedia

  • ADULTERY — (Heb. נִאוּף, ni uf; sometimes, loosely, זְנוּת, zenut; זְנוּנִים, zenunim; lit. fornication, whoredom ). Voluntary sexual intercourse between a married woman, or one engaged by payment of the brideprice, and a man other than her husband.… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • Adultery — • The article considers adultery with reference only to morality Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006. Adultery     Adultery     † …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • adultery — adul·tery /ə dəl tə rē/ n: 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… …   Law dictionary

  • adultery — (n.) voluntary violation of the marriage bed, c.1300, avoutrie, from O.Fr. avouterie (12c.), noun of condition from avoutre, from L. adulterare to corrupt (see ADULTERATION (Cf. adulteration)). Modern spelling, with the re inserted d , is from… …   Etymology dictionary

  • adultery — adultery, fornication, incest designate forms of illicit sexual intercourse which are clearly distinguished in legal use, both civil and ecclesiastical. Adultery implies unfaithfulness to one’s spouse, and therefore can be applied only to sexual… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • adultery — [n] extramarital affair affair, carrying on*, cheating, extracurricular activity*, fling, fornication, hanky panky*, immorality, infidelity, matinee*, playing around*, relationship, thing*, two timing*; concept 633 Ant. faithfulness …   New thesaurus

  • adultery — ► NOUN ▪ voluntary sexual intercourse between a married person and a person who is not their spouse. DERIVATIVES adulterous adjective …   English terms dictionary

  • adultery — [ə dul′tər ē] n. pl. adulteries [L adulterium < adulter: see ADULTERATE] voluntary sexual intercourse between a married man and a woman not his wife, or between a married woman and a man not her husband: see also FORNICATION …   English World dictionary

  • adultery — /euh dul teuh ree/, n., pl. adulteries. voluntary sexual intercourse between a married person and someone other than his or her lawful spouse. [1325 75; ME adulterie < L adulterium, equiv. to adulter (see ADULTERER) + ium IUM; r. ME a(d)vouterie… …   Universalium

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