concubine
Kept woman historically
A concubine is a woman who lives with a man in a sexual relationship without being his wife, typically in cultures or historical periods where such arrangements had recognized social status.
Unlike a mistress, whose relationship is usually secret, a concubine often held an acknowledged position in the household, though inferior to that of a wife.
The term appears frequently in historical and biblical contexts, where men of wealth or power maintained multiple concubines alongside their legal wives.
Wives' sequestered quarters
- courtesanPaid aristocratic companion
- odalisqueHarem slave or attendant
- geishaJapanese arts entertainer
- sultanaSeedless raisin variety
emperor · pharaoh · shogun · dynasty · palace · eunuch · dowager · heir
Illicit female lover
- consortRoyal spouse
- secondaryLesser in rank
- handmaidenPersonal female attendant
- favoriteMost liked option
companion · attendant · subservient · inferior · subordinate · dependent · kept · unofficial
Wives' sequestered quarters
- co-wifeSpouse sharing a husband
- polygynyMultiple simultaneous wives
- multipleConsisting of many parts
- wivesMarried female partners
bigamy · patriarch · sultan · king · emperor · marriage · wedlock · rivalry
Cultural or social prohibition
- scandalDisgraceful public affair
- shamePainful awareness of failure
- illegitimacyLacking lawful authority
- infidelityDisloyalty to a partner
adultery · extramarital · immoral · forbidden · secret · disgrace · dishonor · ostracized
Lacking strength or authority
- subjugatedBrought under control
- oppressedTreated with cruel control
- coercedPressured into compliance
- voicelessHaving no voice
vulnerable · captive · enslaved · trafficked · objectified · silenced · controlled · disempowered
harem
Wives' sequestered quarters
- courtesanPaid aristocratic companion
- odalisqueHarem slave or attendant
- geishaJapanese arts entertainer
sultana · emperor · pharaoh · shogun · dynasty · palace · eunuch · dowager · heir · imperial
mistress
Illicit female lover
- consortRoyal spouse
- secondaryLesser in rank
- handmaidenPersonal female attendant
favorite · companion · attendant · subservient · inferior · subordinate · dependent · kept · unofficial · lesser
harem
Wives' sequestered quarters
wives · bigamy · patriarch · sultan · king · emperor · marriage · wedlock · rivalry · jealousy
taboo
Cultural or social prohibition
- scandalDisgraceful public affair
- shamePainful awareness of failure
- illegitimacyLacking lawful authority
infidelity · adultery · extramarital · immoral · forbidden · secret · disgrace · dishonor · ostracized · outcast
powerless
Lacking strength or authority
- subjugatedBrought under control
- oppressedTreated with cruel control
- coercedPressured into compliance
voiceless · vulnerable · captive · enslaved · trafficked · objectified · silenced · controlled · disempowered · marginalized
- Chinese Courtmandarin, court official, eunuch, empress, crown prince
- ChinaBeijing, Shanghai, Great Wall, Yellow River, Chinese calligraphy
- marriagebride, groom, wedding, husband, wife
- femaleswoman, girl, lady, mother, daughter
- historical rolesking, queen, emperor, knight, peasant
- loverslover, lovers, beloved, sweethearts, sweetheart
concubinewife
Female marriage partner
spouse · bride · married woman · consort · matron
concubinematron
Female institutional supervisor
lady · noblewoman · matriarch · Madonna · proper lady