Polygamy
Polygamy is a marriage that includes more than two partners. When a man is married to more than one wife at a time, the relationship is called polygyny; and when a woman is married to more than one husband at a time, it is called polyandry. If a marriage includes multiple husbands and wives, it can be called group or conjoint marriage. The term is used in related ways in social anthropology, sociology, as well as in popular speech. In contrast, monogamy is a marriage consisting of only two parties. Like
monogamy, the term polygamy is often used in a
de facto sense, applied regardless of whether the relationship is recognized by the state. In sociobiology and zoology, polygamy is used in a broad sense to mean any form of multiple mating. The only form in which polygamy is legally recognised in countries which do so, is for a man to take multiple wives. In those countries that do not permit polygamy, a person who marries a second person while still being lawfully married is committing the crime of bigamy. In the global context, acceptance of polygamy is common.