Bigamist
Noun
Definition: A person who is married to two people at the same time.
Synonyms: Polygamist
Antonyms: Monogamist
- John was arrested for being a bigamist as he was married to both Mary and Jane simultaneously.
- The bigamist tried to hide his double life from his wives but eventually got caught.
- "Biga" sounds like "big" and a bigamist has bigamy, which means marrying multiple people simultaneously.
Etymology:
The word "bigamist" originated from the Latin word "bigamus", which is a combination of "bi-" meaning two and "gamos" meaning marriage.
Historical Usage:The term has been used since the 17th century to refer to individuals involved in the act of marrying multiple people simultaneously.
Related Idioms:
"Caught in a bigamist's net"
Explanation:This phrase refers to being trapped or ensnared in a situation involving someone who has multiple spouses.
Misconceptions:
Assuming "bigamist" and "polygamist" mean the same thing.
Explanation:While both terms refer to marrying multiple people at the same time, "polygamist" generally refers to someone practicing polygamy, which can include both polyandry (multiple husbands) and polygyny (multiple wives), while "bigamist" specifically refers to someone marrying two people simultaneously.