adulterya‧dul‧ter‧y /əˈdʌltəri/ noun [uncountable] 
She had committed adultery on several occasions.—adulterous adjective
WORD ORIGINadultery
Origin:
1400-1500 Old French avoutrie, from Latin adulterium, from adulter ‘adulterer’, from adulterare; ➔ ADULTERATEEXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- 60% of men admit to committing adultery at some time during their marriages.
- She finally left her husband because of his adultery.
- But the teaching does treat adultery and divorce with the seriousness it deserves.
- Do you know what Nabokov said about adultery in his lecture on Madame Bovary?
- Garth was found guilty of violating a lawful general regulation, indecent assault and adultery, and using indecent language.
- Monogamy is universal but adultery frequent.
- Not only was the act of adultery wrong, but even a lustful look.
- Why then has the military insisted that adultery is a crime?
Longman Language Activatorwhen someone has sex with someone who is not their husband, girlfriend etc
if someone is unfaithful , they have sex with someone who is not their husband, girlfriend etc: · Why do women stay with unfaithful partners?· Jeff promised he'd never be unfaithful again.unfaithful to: · He accused me of being unfaithful to him.
informal if someone cheats on their husband, girlfriend etc, they secretly have sex with someone else: · What would you do if your boyfriend cheated on you?
a secret sexual relationship between two people when at least one of them is married to someone else: · Their affair lasted for six years.love affair: · They finally confessed their secret love affair.have an affair (with somebody): · He accused his wife of having an affair.· My wife thinks I'm having an affair with someone at work.
the act of having sex with someone who is not your husband or wife, when you are married: · She finally left her husband because of his adultery.commit adultery formal (=have sex with someone who is not your husband or wife): · 60% of men admit to committing adultery at some time during their marriages.
formal when someone who is married has sex with someone who is not their husband or wife: · Her husband never knew of her infidelity.marital infidelity: · There had been rumours for a long time of Clinton's marital infidelity.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY She had committed adultery on several occasions.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSVERB
She had committed adultery on several occasions.· For the first time he was tempted to commit scientific adultery.· Smith admits he did wrong by committing adultery with the wife of a Marine sergeant, while the enlisted man was overseas.· He'd committed adultery with the wife of the local steward - the land agent for the lord of the manor.· Had the woman committed adultery or not? they wondered.· A Inc., has been Baccused of mishandling church funds and committing adultery.· Sexy young blond women, both committing adultery, turn up as victims early on.· Men or women convicted of drinking alcohol or committing adultery may be lashed in public 100 times.· If both parties committed abandonment, adultery, or extreme cruelty, the union was still held to be inviolate.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
sex between someone who is married and someone who is not their wife or husband: - A Inc., has been Baccused of mishandling church funds and committing adultery.
- Had the woman committed adultery or not? they wondered.
- He'd committed adultery with the wife of the local steward - the land agent for the lord of the manor.
- Men or women convicted of drinking alcohol or committing adultery may be lashed in public 100 times.
- One obvious example is the almost universal ban against committing adultery with another man s wife.
- Sexy young blond women, both committing adultery, turn up as victims early on.
- Smith admits he did wrong by committing adultery with the wife of a Marine sergeant, while the enlisted man was overseas.
She had committed adultery on several occasions.—adulterous adjective