monogamy

Monogamy ( ) is a relationship of two individuals in which they form a mutual and exclusive intimate partnership. Having only one partner at any one time, whether for life or serial monogamy, contrasts with various forms of non-monogamy (e.g., polygamy or polyamory).

AI overview

Monogamy is a relationship between two people who are committed exclusively to each other as romantic and intimate partners. It contrasts with non-monogamous arrangements where people have multiple partners, and can be lifelong or occur in sequence with different partners over time.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

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number of participants: 2
Commons category: Monogamy

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Article

33 sections

Contents

Terminology
Frequency in humans
Distribution of social monogamy
Prevalence of sexual monogamy
Prevalence of genetic monogamy
Evolutionary and historical development in humans
Biological arguments
Cultural arguments
Arguments from outside the scientific community
Prehistoric societies
Ancient societies
Tribal societies
Ancient Mesopotamia and Assyria
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Israel
Ancient Greece and ancient Rome
Early Christianity
Contemporary societies
International
People's Republic of China
Varieties in biology
Serial monogamy
Reproductive success
Breakup
Similarity with polygamy
Mating system
Evolution in animals
Genetic and neuroendocrine bases
See also
References
Bibliography
Further reading
External links

The term monogamy, derived from Greek for "one marriage," has multiple context-dependent meanings—genetic, sexual, social, and marital—each varying in interpretation across cultures and disciplines, making its definition complex and often debated. The term is typically used to describe the behavioral ecology and sexual selection of animal mating systems, referring to the state of having only one mate at any one given time. In a human cultural context, monogamy typically refers to the custom of two individuals, regardless of orientation, committing to a sexually exclusive relationship.