Polygamy is the state of being married to more than one person at the same time. It exists in several forms, most of which fall under the umbrella of consensual nonmongamy. When a woman has multiple husbands the practice is technically polyandry while when a man has multiple wives the practice is technically called polygyny. A marriage that contains multiple husbands and wives is generally referred to as an example of polyamory. Society at large, however, tends to lump all of these together and refer to them as polygamy.
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