Table of Contents
Definition of Serial Monogamy
(noun) Having only one monogamous relationship at a time, but multiple partners throughout a lifetime due to death, divorce, or choice.
Examples of Serial Monogamy
- An individual gets married but their partner dies, and they later remarry.
- King Henry VIII (1491–1547) had six wives.
Serial Monogamy Pronunciation
Syllabification: se·ri·al mo·nog·a·my
Audio Pronunciation
Phonetic Spelling
- American English – /sIR-ee-uhl muh-nAHgUH-mee/
- British English – /sIUH-riuhl muh-nOgUH-mee/
International Phonetic Alphabet
- American English – /ˈsɪˌriəl məˈnɑgəmi/
- British English – /ˈsɪərɪəl mɒˈnɒgəmi/
Usage Notes
- A type of monogamy.
- A (noun) serial monogamist participates in a (adjective) serially monogamous or (adjective) serially monogamistic relationship.
Additional Information
- Family and Kinship Resources – Books, Journals, and Helpful Links
- Word origin of “serial” and “monogamy” – Online Etymology Dictionary: etymonline.com
- Anderson, Eric. 2012. The Monogamy Gap: Men, Love, and the Reality of Cheating. New York: Oxford University Press.
Related Terms
Works Consulted
Ferrante, Joan. 2011. Sociology: A Global Perspective. 7th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
Ravelli, Bruce, and Michelle Webber. 2016. Exploring Sociology: A Canadian Perspective. 3rd ed. Toronto: Pearson.
Schaefer, Richard. 2013. Sociology: A Brief Introduction. 10th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Stewart, Paul, and Johan Zaaiman, eds. 2015. Sociology: A Concise South African Introduction. Cape Town: Juta.
Taylor & Francis. (N.d.) Routledge Handbooks Online. (https://www.routledgehandbooks.com/).
Thompson, William E., and Joseph V. Hickey. 2012. Society in Focus: An Introduction to Sociology. 7th ed. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Turner, Bryan S., ed. 2006. The Cambridge Dictionary of Sociology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Wikipedia contributors. (N.d.) Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. (https://en.wikipedia.org/).
Wiley. (N.d.) Wiley Online Library. (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/).
Cite the Definition of Serial Monogamy
ASA – American Sociological Association (5th edition)
Bell, Kenton, ed. 2013. “serial monogamy.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Retrieved April 25, 2024 (https://sociologydictionary.org/serial-monogamy/).
APA – American Psychological Association (6th edition)
serial monogamy. (2013). In K. Bell (Ed.), Open education sociology dictionary. Retrieved from https://sociologydictionary.org/serial-monogamy/
Chicago/Turabian: Author-Date – Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition)
Bell, Kenton, ed. 2013. “serial monogamy.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Accessed April 25, 2024. https://sociologydictionary.org/serial-monogamy/.
MLA – Modern Language Association (7th edition)
“serial monogamy.” Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Ed. Kenton Bell. 2013. Web. 25 Apr. 2024. <https://sociologydictionary.org/serial-monogamy/>.