The act of a couple choosing to have an open, non-exclusive romantic or sexual relationships; this may be polyamory or swinging, for example. That is, a situation in which both partners agree that one or both of them may partake in sexual or romantic relationships outside of their relationship.

This is different to cheating or adultery, where one partner is unaware of what is happening and believes they are in an exclusive relationship.

a term used in polyamorous contexts to describe the arrangements and structure of polyamorous relationships.

an arrangement in which a married or committed couple live together with the lover of one of them; for example, a husband and wife arrange to allow the husband’s mistress to move in with them.

Has also come to mean a threesome.

in polyamorous relationships, metamour is the name given to your partner’s other partners, with whom you do not share a romantic or sexual relationship with.

An individual who desires relationships with more than one more person; people who are in relationships that involve more than two people – a polyamorous relationship.

Polyamorous people identify as polyamorous, and typically seek out other polyamorous people, or people open to polyamorous relationships (even if they themselves are not polyamorous) to form relationships with.

This is not the same as cheating: polyamory is based on informed consent – that is, that everybody involved in the relationship is aware; this could be an open relationship (where individuals involved are free to explore sexual and/or romantic relationships elsewhere), committed relationships which involve more than two people (e.g. a relationship with and between three people), or relationships in which one or both members have other relationships outside of that relationship.

Polyamorous relationships may be between two (or more) committed people in which both/all/some members engage in recreational or social sexual activity with others (such as swinging).

As such, polyamorous relationships can be diverse.

Not to be confused with polysexual.

the practice or desire for intimate relationships with more than one person, with the informed consent of all partners involved. A form of non-monogamy, people that engage in polyamory are known as polyamorous.

A polyamorous relationship may be a relationship between three or more people which each other, or an open relationship.

This is typically different from swinging (although polyamorous people may also be swingers), where the focus is on sexual activity, rather than deep romantic and/or emotional bonds outside of the relationship.

three people in an equal relationship; in much the same way two people in a relationship is a couple, three people is a ‘throuple’.