concubines plural a woman who cohabits with a man to whom she is not legally married, especially one regarded as socially or sexually subservient; mistress. a woman who cohabits with a man to whom she is not legally married, especially one regarded as socially or sexually subservient; mistress. (among polygamous peoples) a secondary wife, usually of inferior rank. (among polygamous peoples) a secondary wife, usually of inferior rank. (especially formerly in Muslim societies) a woman residing in a harem and kept, as by a sultan, for sexual purposes. (especially formerly in Muslim societies) a woman residing in a harem and kept, as by a sultan, for sexual purposes. (in polygamous societies) a secondary wife, usually of lower social rank (in polygamous societies) a secondary wife, usually of lower social rank a woman who cohabits with a man a woman who cohabits with a man Other Word Forms concubinary noun Inflected Forms concubines plural Origin of concubine First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin concubīna, equivalent to concub- (variant stem of concumbere “to lie together”; see con- , incumbent ) + -īna, feminine suffix Throughout history, there have been instances when it was considered acceptable for an important man to keep a woman, not his wife, as a mistress. These women were called concubines , and they often were treated better than the man’s wife. The word concubine comes from the Latin verb, cubare , which means "to lie down." The word developed in Middle English in the 13th Century, and is another name for a woman taken as a mistress. The practice was common throughout history: the Bible includes many references to concubines, and in ancient China, a ruler might have had thousands of concubines, some treated well, some like prostitutes. Sad to say, the practice is still going on, acceptable in some countries today. Vocabulary lists containing concubine "The Lowest Animal," Vocabulary from the essay Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide! Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use! Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time! Example Sentences Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For: Cixi, once a concubine of the Xianfeng emperor, assumed power upon his death in 1861. From Textbooks ● Dec. 14, 2022 Local myth says they represent a man who couldn’t choose between his wife and concubine, so all three of them were petrified. From New York Times ● Sep. 25, 2022 Early on in the winsome new documentary about her life and work, Rita Moreno takes gently hilarious aim at Tuptim, the young Burmese concubine she played in the 1956 film of “The King and I.” From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2021 He must be rejoicing, telling the Emperor Charles that the king’s concubine is living her last hours. From The Guardian ● Feb. 22, 2020 After much pleading and promises of reform he succeeded in getting her to come home and he abandoned his concubine . From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez The nizam’s court, with its sumptuous palaces, its concubines, its rituals and recitations of poetry and music, was the chief inheritor of the archaic grandeur of the moguls. From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 4, 2026 However, sumptuary laws dictated what women could and could not wear, elite men kept concubines, and the Tang legal system considered women property. From Textbooks ● Apr. 19, 2023 Criminals, slaves and concubines were tattooed, and some ethnic groups tattooed themselves to ward off evil. From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 16, 2019 And an ancient Chinese tale has a robotic man dance and flirt with royal concubines, angering King Mu before its creator reveals its artificial nature. From Washington Post ● Dec. 14, 2018 And then after a while she said again, “As for our son, there was not even a child among the concubines of the Old Master himself to compare to him in beauty and in dress.” From "The Good Earth" by Pearl S. Buck Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023 Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Dictionary.com's Learning Companion Go beyond just looking up words. Remember them forever with VocabTrainer.