affair partner
Illicit romantic interest
An affair partner is the person with whom someone conducts a romantic or sexual relationship outside their primary committed relationship.
The term is neutral and clinical, common in therapy contexts and relationship discussions where more judgmental words like "mistress" or "the other woman" feel inappropriate: She discovered her husband had been seeing an affair partner for two years.
- loverRomantic intimate
- secret loverConcealed romantic partner
- other womanIllicit romantic rival
- mistressIllicit female lover
- secretConcealed information
infidelity · cheating · betrayal · broken vows · forbidden · passion · hidden · rendezvous · stolen · guilt · guilty pleasure · desire · clandestine · tryst · adultery · temptation · hotel · hotel room
- loverslover, lovers, beloved, sweethearts, sweetheart
- infidelityadultery, adulteress, cheating, cheater, unfaithful
- betrayerstraitor, betrayer, backstabber, turncoat, double-crosser
affair partnerspouse
Married partner
husband · wife · life partner · fiancé · domestic partner
affair, partner, affairs, partners, partnered, partnering, partnership, partnerships