as in mistress
a female other than his wife with whom a married man has a continuing sexual relationship
the offspring of one of the monarch's concubines
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Recent Examples of concubine
But experts say the male-only succession system is structurally flawed and only worked previously thanks to the help of concubines who, until about 100 years ago, produced imperial children.
—
Mari Yamaguchi, Twin Cities, 6 Sep. 2025
Some of them were married (or given as concubines) to Inca nobles, others became priestesses, and some ended up as human sacrifices.
—ArsTechnica, 14 Aug. 2025
Her cleverness catches the eye of Jinshi, a beautiful eunuch who oversees the Rear Palace’s operations, and Maomao is soon promoted to lady-in-waiting and taste tester to one of the Emperor’s favorite concubines.
—Kayti Burt, Time, 2 Apr. 2025
Royal gardens, peeling frescoes, and tiled mosaics are breathtaking in their beauty, but the zenith of any visit is a wander through the sultan’s harem, once home to hundreds of concubines and their eunuch guards.
—Ashlea Halpern, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Dec. 2018
See All Example Sentences for concubine
Mari Yamaguchi, Twin Cities, 6 Sep. 2025
Some of them were married (or given as concubines) to Inca nobles, others became priestesses, and some ended up as human sacrifices.
—ArsTechnica, 14 Aug. 2025
Her cleverness catches the eye of Jinshi, a beautiful eunuch who oversees the Rear Palace’s operations, and Maomao is soon promoted to lady-in-waiting and taste tester to one of the Emperor’s favorite concubines.
—Kayti Burt, Time, 2 Apr. 2025
Royal gardens, peeling frescoes, and tiled mosaics are breathtaking in their beauty, but the zenith of any visit is a wander through the sultan’s harem, once home to hundreds of concubines and their eunuch guards.
—Ashlea Halpern, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Dec. 2018
See All Example Sentences for concubine
Recent Examples of Synonyms for concubine
Noun
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The actors sprang to life, staging a lurid scene in which an evil mistress named Selina frames the heroine for killing her unborn child.—
Chang Che,
New Yorker,
25 Apr. 2026
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In his intro to this reissue, Geoff Dyer called Lemann a mistress of vibes.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Some, like Chloe’s triad, are all lovers.—
Sonja Sharp,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Apr. 2026
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Some Disney lovers worry the small back walkway near Country Bear Musical Jamboree, a longtime sit-down attraction, could close as Frontierland shifts toward the Piston Peak setting, the blogs reported.—
Jessica Mekles,
FOXNews.com,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Concubine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/concubine. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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