Home » Misc » What are poly

What are poly


Polyamory: What Does It Mean?

Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors

In this Article

  • What is the Difference Between Polyamory and Swinging?
  • Myths and Misconceptions About Polyamory
  • How Polyamory Works in Relationships
  • How to Explore Polyamory
  • Helping Your Loved Ones to Understand Polyamory

Polyamorous people have multiple loving, intentional, and intimate relationships at the same time. Polyamory is a type of open or non-monogamous relationship that follows certain guidelines. 

Polyamory specifically refers to people who have multiple romantic relationships at the same time. It does not mean any type of open relationship that may include more casual sexual partners. In many polyamorous relationships, each partner is aware of the other ones. Partners may also have relationships or friendships with each other.

There are a few different types of polyamory:

  • Solo polyamory includes people who don't have primary partnerships but date multiple people. They remain mostly independent in their personal lives.
  • Polyfidelity refers to a group of three or more people who have a committed relationship with each other and do not date outside of the group. 
  • Hierarchical polyamory means people who have primary partnerships to which they devote the most time and attention, and secondary and tertiary partnerships that receive less time and attention. The primary partner may have more power over important decisions.
  • Non-hierarchical polyamory refers to people who don’t have a hierarchy of partners. It is also called egalitarian polyamory or relationship anarchy. Each partner may receive equal time and attention. They may also have equal input on important life choices.

What is the Difference Between Polyamory and Swinging?

Swingers have multiple sexual partners but may not develop emotional or romantic connections with their partners. Swingers usually attend sex parties and other events to swap partners. They may have recurring sexual partners, but their focus is not on having romantic relationships.

Polyamorous people, on the other hand, focus on fostering romantic relationships. Polyamorists can also be swingers or attend swinger parties. Swingers are sometimes also polyamorous. 

Myths and Misconceptions About Polyamory

Polyamory is Just Cheating

People in polyamorous relationships are open and honest with each other about their other partners. Successful polyamory depends on honesty, integrity, and communication. Polyamory is not about being secretive or hiding your activities with your other romantic partners.

Additionally, people in polyamorous relationships can cheat. In a poly relationship — as it is sometimes called for short — doing something secretive may count as cheating, depending on the relationship agreements. Examples include seeing a new partner and hiding it from someone or violating a previously set boundary.

Polyamorists Are Just Avoidant or Afraid of Commitment

Commitment in polyamory often looks different than it does in monogamous relationships. Couples may not create traditional relationship milestones together, like cohabitation, engagement, or marriage. However, they still have committed relationships and are there for each other. Some people believe that polyamory requires a lot of commitment because of how much dedication to open and honest communication it requires. 

Polyamorous Relationships Don't Have True Intimacy

Some people do find that having multiple partners detracts from the intimacy in their relationships. But, other polyamorous people find that being in intimate relationships with multiple people creates more intimacy due to the vulnerability and communication required. 

Polyamourous People Don't Get Jealous

Many polyamorous people do get jealous. However, the way they deal with jealousy is usually different than the way monogamous people do. They usually view it as an insecurity or fear to work on and overcome, rather than a relationship-ending problem.  

Parents Having Multiple Partners is Damaging for Their Children

More research is needed to determine the full effect of polyamory on children. However, preliminary research shows that some polyamorous families can be good for children. Just as with monogamous parents, some situations may be better or worse for children depending on several factors. 

Polyamorous People Just Want to Have a Lot of Sex

Some polyamorous people do have a lot of sex, but for many, the focus of polyamory is more about building loving, intimate relationships. Most romantic relationships do involve sex, including polyamorous ones.

How Polyamory Works in Relationships

Polyamorous relationships are complex and each one is different. People in polyamorous relationships design their own relationships by setting their desired boundaries and establishing rules that are different from those in monogamous relationships.

One of the most important agreements that polyamorous people have is an agreement about safer sex. This usually refers to a rule about who they will have unprotected sex with and forms of birth control for people who can get pregnant. This is essential to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted infections or unintentional pregnancy in polyamorous relationships. 

How to Explore Polyamory

If you already have a partner, the first step towards establishing a polyamorous relationship is to talk to your partner about it. If you are nervous about bringing it up, you may want to gauge their interest in or knowledge of the topic by:

  • Inviting them to watch a movie with a polyamorous situation
  • Asking them what they think about polyamorous people you both know
  • Asking them their thoughts about a non-monogamous celebrity
  • Sending them an article about polyamory

Bring up the topic in a moment of peace, in a safe space and time. An argument is not the best time to ask about opening up the relationship. If your partner says no or expresses concerns, listen to them.  

Relationship specialists recommend reassuring your partner that you still care about them. Express your reasons for wanting to try polyamory while also assuring them that you are committed to the relationship. 

However, if you already know that you are poly, whether you have a partner or not, it may be best to seek out new partners who are already polyamorous, or at least interested in non-monogamous relationships. 

Helping Your Loved Ones to Understand Polyamory

Coming out as polyamorous should always be your choice. You may choose to come out to personal friends or family members, but not to coworkers or acquaintances. Consider why you would like to come out before you do so. 

Some experts recommend finding out a person's thoughts about polyamory by asking them a few questions before you come out. You can ask them about another alternative lifestyle choice or a movie with polyamory in it to gauge what they may think about polyamory.  

When coming out to children, relationship experts recommend waiting for the child to ask about your relationships. Give honest and age-appropriate information. Present the information in a calm manner to help children feel safe and secure.

Your Guide to Polyamorous Relationships

Monogamy, or the practice of having only one romantic or sexual partner, is the most practiced type of relationship in the United States. However, according to statistics published in 2021, roughly 4%–5% of the population practices polyamory.

Polyamory is a form of consensual non-monogamy in which a person is involved with multiple romantic or sexual partners.

Although millions of people across the country and around the world are in consensual polyamorous relationships, there’s still a significant misunderstanding of what polyamory means and what these relationships entail. And this misunderstanding often leads to stigma, a negative or discriminatory attitude against people in these types of relationships.

We’ll share what you need to know about polyamory, including the different types of polyamorous relationships, how to establish healthy boundaries in polyamory, and more.

Polyamory is a form of ethical, or consensual, non-monogamy that involves having romantic or sexual relationships with multiple partners at the same time. Ethical, or consensual, non-monogamy describes relationships in which all parties are aware of and consent to practice non-monogamy.

“Folx in polyamorous relationships usually (but not always) engage with their partners both romantically and sexually, with the knowledge and consent of any other partner(s) that they may have,” explains Stephanie M. Sullivan, MS, LMFT, CCTP-II, marriage and family therapist and owner of Attunement, who specializes in polyamorous and consensually non-monogamous relationships.

Consent is crucial in ethical non-monogamy. One of the most important parts of being polyamorous is making sure that you — and any romantic or sexual partners you have — are aware of and consenting to the relationships you have with them and others.

Is there a polyamorous flag?

Although there have been various interpretations of the polyamorous flag over the years, the original flag was created in 1995 by Jim Evans.

It’s a tricolor flag with a blue band at the top, which signifies honesty and communication between partners. In the middle, a red band represents the love and passion in polyamorous relationships. A black band at the bottom represents the stigma that polyamorous people often face, sometimes leading them to have to hide their relationships.

And a gold pi symbol in the flag’s center signifies the value they place on their different emotional attachments.

Polyamory can look different from person to person, shares Sullivan.

“Each relationship is unique and can be designed in any way that feels right to everyone involved,” she explains.

However, some common terms are used to describe not only the different types of polyamorous relationships that a person can form but also the different people involved.

Hierarchical

Hierarchical polyamory involves a hierarchy system that includes primary and secondary partners. Primary partners take priority over other partners or relationships.

This often describes partners who are married, live together, or have families together.

Primary partners can form additional secondary relationships, but these relationships do not have the same level of priority that the primary relationship does.

Non-hierarchical

Non-hierarchical polyamory doesn’t involve any ranking of partners, which means that every relationship or partner, while unique, is viewed equally. So, someone in this type of polyamorous relationship with multiple partners would consider these partners equal, even if the relationships all function differently.

Polyfidelity

Polyfidelity is a type of non-hierarchical polyamory in which there is no ranking of partners. However, in this type of relationship, the partners are all exclusive to one another and are not seeking or open to new relationships.

Polyfidelity often includes two common relationship types:

  • Triad: This describes a relationship in which three people are sexually or romantically involved with each other.
  • Quad: This describes a relationship in which four people are in a romantic or sexual relationship together.

Vee

Vee, which comes from the letter V, describes a relationship in which one partner has two separate romantic or sexual partners. Unlike a triad, in which all three individuals are in the relationship together, the partners of the shared person in the vee are not involved with one another.

Solo-poly

While there’s no set definition for solo-poly, it’s often used to describe multiple types of polyamorous people, such as:

  • those who are single and identify as polyamorous, sometimes called single-poly
  • those who are in casual or committed polyamorous relationships but choose to live alone
  • those who are in polyamorous relationships and don’t live alone but still prioritize themselves or their needs

When someone is solo-poly — whether single, dating, or otherwise — the primary focus of their major life decisions is themselves, rather than the relationship.

Mono-poly

Mono-poly relationships describe a type of relationship in which someone who is monogamous is in a relationship with someone who is polyamorous. This is also sometimes called a hybrid relationship.

In this type of relationship, the person who is polyamorous may decide to follow any type of polyamorous lifestyle while their monogamous partner does not — but communication and consent with their monogamous partner is still key.

This relationship can be healthy when both partners are getting their needs met, but it can become codependent when taken as a step to save a relationship where one partner has a history of cheating.

“Some monogamous folx find that they don’t care to date themselves, but that they don’t mind their partner dating,” explains Sullivan. However, it all comes down to personal preference.

“Different polyamorous folx may have different boundaries for themselves when considering dating someone who has only ever been monogamous,” she says.

Poly webs

Poly webs, also called poly families or sometimes polycules, describe people who are all connected through polyamorous lifestyles. People who are part of poly webs or families aren’t always necessarily romantically involved with each other — sometimes they’re simply connected through their various partners.

Poly webs may sometimes live together or near each other, and they may share household duties as well as date nights. This setup is especially popular in the queer community, where it can serve as a “chosen family” for people estranged from their biological families.

Polyamorous vs. polygamy

“Polyamory and polygamy are vastly different,” says Sullivan, clarifying that polyamory involves the idea of navigating and consenting to multiple simultaneous relationships.

“Polyamorous folx encompass a wide range of types of people, with many different religions, backgrounds, political views, and interests,” she continues.

Polygamy, on the other hand, is the practice of having multiple spouses. And unlike polyamory, which focuses on being an equitable form of non-monogamy, polygamy isn’t always as such.

“Polygamy often has a religious or cultural motivation to it, and it is often not equitable for everyone involved,” Sullivan explains.

For example, polygyny — the most common form of polygamy — involves one man having multiple wives.

“This is usually an inequitable relationship, as the wives are not able or allowed to take on other partners, and can have other inequitable aspects to it as well,” she says.

Of course, that’s not to say that polygamy can’t be consensual or equitable non-monogamy — but ultimately, polygamy and polyamory are two separate lifestyles that can’t necessarily be compared.

Like any other consensual relationship, polyamorous relationships work best when partners can establish rules and boundaries that work for everyone. And according to Sullivan, that starts with discussing everything openly and honestly.

“There are three main components to consider when doing this in relationships,” she explains. These are:

  1. First, it’s important to identify everyone’s thoughts, feelings, and values.
  2. Second, it’s necessary to be able to communicate those thoughts, feelings, and values with each other.
  3. And third, it’s crucial to be able to communicate these things with an open mind and without judgment.

“These three components are difficult when discussing particularly difficult topics but are important skills for every person in a polyamorous (or monogamous!) relationship,” Sullivan shares.

If this is something you find hard in your relationships, there’s no shame in reaching out for help.

“If necessary, seeking a poly-friendly therapist or coach can be helpful to build these skills,” she recommends.

It can also be helpful to take an active approach to scheduling and to be realistic when planning your free time. If you and all of your partners are working full-time, it can be difficult to find the time to make everyone a priority.

Using a digital calendar that allows you to share or look at your schedules side by side can take some of the work out of planning your week. Again, everything comes back to clear communication and being upfront about what you need.

Whether you’ve been polyamorous your entire life or are just interested in learning more, we’re here to answer some common questions — and clear up some common misconceptions – about polyamory and polyamorous relationships.

Is polyamory a sexuality?

Polyamory is not a sexuality. And despite the misconception that only LGBTQIA+ people practice polyamory, it is not associated with any specific sexuality. In fact, people of any sexuality, whether heterosexual, bisexual, asexual, or otherwise, can be in polyamorous relationships.

Is being polyamorous legal?

While it’s not illegal to be in a polyamorous relationship, most countries around the world prohibit marrying multiple partners. Because of this, most polyamorous couples don’t have the same legal protections as married couples.

Are poly relationships healthy?

Polyamorous relationships can be happy, healthy relationships, just like any other monogamous or non-monogamous relationship. However, because polyamorous relationships involve multiple people, they can sometimes require more honesty, communication, and care.

What does dating a unicorn mean?

A “unicorn” is a term that is often used to describe a bisexual or pansexual polyamorous woman who is willing to be in a relationship with an established (usually heterosexual) couple. Generally, the term is seen as derogatory because of the implications of the purely sexual role that the unicorn will play in the relationship.

Can a monogamous person date a poly person?

“Someone who is monogamous can date someone who is polyamorous; this is referred to as a mono-poly relationship,” explains Sullivan. In her experience, these relationships are one of the most difficult polyamorous relationship styles to maintain — however, they can work well with the right communication and boundaries.

In this blended relationship style, both parties must be extremely communicative about their wants and needs. This also requires excellent self-reflection skills. Seeing a relationship therapist who specializes in polyamorous relationships can be helpful.

Learn more about how to find the right therapist for you.

How common is polyamory?

Research from 2021 suggests that roughly 4%–5% of people in the United States are currently in romantic non-monogamous relationships, including polyamorous relationships. That same research suggests that over 16% of people may want to try non-monogamy — and up to 10% of people may have tried it at some point in their lives.

How often do open marriages fail?

An open marriage is a type of consensual non-monogamy (not necessarily polyamory) in which a couple agrees to engage in relationships with people outside the marriage. While there aren’t many studies on the statistics of open marriage, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests that roughly 45% of marriages end in divorce — some of which are likely open marriages.

Learn more about open relationships.

Is polyamory more ethical than monogamy?

While polyamory is sometimes talked about as a more ethical alternative to monogamy or more authentic to human nature, there are no studies that prove this. It’s just as possible for cheating or abuse to happen in polyamorous relationships as in a monogamous one.

Polyamory is just as ethical as any other consensual relationship, monogamous or otherwise. This is because a big part of the ethics of polyamory involves consent: “Remember, polyamory is about having honest, consensual, simultaneous relationships,” notes Sullivan. “If your polyamory is not consensual, it is not polyamory.”

How do I know if I’m polyamorous?

If you’re interested in exploring a polyamorous lifestyle, Sullivan recommends checking out books about polyamory to learn more.

“‘A Smart Girl’s Guide to Polyamory,’ ‘The Ethical Slut,’ or ‘Polysecure’ might be a good place to start,” she suggests.

And if you’re already in an established relationship, communication is key.

“If you are in a monogamous relationship and thinking about opening up your relationship, it is important to talk with your partner about this first, and to take things as slowly as you both need,” Sullivan says.

Seeing a couple’s therapist can also be a helpful step before opening up a monogamous relationship.

The discussion of polyamory and polyamorous relationship is becoming more prevalent, but there’s still a lot of misunderstanding about polyamorous relationships.

Being polyamorous is a form of ethical non-monogamy. It can take many forms, but it usually involves having romantic or sexual (or both) relationships with multiple people. Hierarchy or marriage may or may not be involved. Consent and open communication are at the heart of polyamory — all partners are aware of the others.

By learning more about polyamory and listening to the experiences of people in polyamorous relationships, we can help fight the stigma and become more open-minded about what love looks like for people of all lifestyles.

What is Poly.., definition of the term in the Encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron

Poli. sl. poluV - many; P. almost exclusively used to indicate that; that this body is a polymer (see Isomerism, XII, 870) of another, with which it is genetically linked. This is the meaning of P. in the words: P.-methacrylic acid \u003d (C4H6O2) x - the name of the polymer of methacrylic acid - CH2: C (CH3). COOH, P.-isobutyric aldehyde (C4H8O) x - isobutyric aldehyde polymer with an unknown particle size etc. Relatively less often P. denotes an incomplete anhydride form of the polymer; so, for example, P. - ethylene alcohols are substances of the general formula: n {C2h5 (OH) 2} - - (n - 1) h3O \u003d nC2h5O (ethylene oxide) + h3O; P.-phosphorous acids - acids: pyrophosphorous - H4P2O5 \u003d 2H3PO3 -H2O; triphosphorous - H5P3O7 \u003d 3H3PO3 - 2H2O and peptaphosphorous -H7P5O11 \u003d 5H3RO3 - 4H2O, and P.-silicic acids of the general formula -nSi (OH) 4 - - (n - 1) H2O \u003d nSiO2 + H2O. P.-methylene hydrocarbons are called closed hydrocarbons of the CnH2n series, which are, for example: trimethylene:, tetramethylene and others; they are not genetically dependent on each other and cannot even be considered polymers of methylene, since its properties are unknown (Methylene - CH2 has not yet been obtained and, according to the ideas of four-atom carbon prevailing in organic chemistry, is not able to exist). Name of polyporic acid. - C18h24O4 comes from the genus of fungi - Polyporus, from which it is extracted. A.I.G.D.

Ivanov Alex

Select letter

A B IN G D E AND W AND Y TO L M H ABOUT P R WITH T At F X C H W SCH E YU I

Meaning of the word Poli. . in other dictionaries:
  • Meaning of the word POLI... - Dictionary of foreign words
  • What is Poly- (Poly-) - Medical Dictionary
  • Definition of the term Polyalogue - Political Dictionary
  • What does the word POLYAMIDES mean - Dictionary of foreign words
  • What is meant by the term Polyamine - Medicines Manual
  • Meaning of the word Polyandry - Sociological Dictionary
  • Interpretation of the word POLYANDRIA - Dictionary of foreign words
  • What is Polyandry - Historical Dictionary
  • Definition of the term Polyarchy - Sociological Dictionary
  • What does the word Polyarchy mean - Political Dictionary
  • What does the term Polyarteritis Nodosa, Periarteritis Nodosa mean - Medical Dictionary
Popular words

Maize Fetish vigi Khan Morgue Vulture Daemon Mekong Salon Karnak Mars Guitar Center Alpaca abbot Bell Phantom Setter Lasso Chartism

The meaning of words in dictionaries

wordmap

The complexity and versatility of the Russian language sometimes surprise even its native speakers. The peculiarity lies in the lack of structure. After all, a lot of liberties are allowed not only in the construction of sentences. The use of some word forms also has several variations.

Difficulties and peculiarities of working with the word

The Russian language has a huge number of assumptions that cannot be found in other cultures. After all, not only literary words, of which there are more than 150 thousand, are often used in speech. But also dialectisms. Since there are many peoples and cultures in Russia, there are more than 250 thousand of them. Not surprisingly, even native speakers sometimes need to find the exact meanings of words. This can be done using explanatory dictionaries or a special WordMap service.

Why is such a platform convenient? This is a clear and simple dictionary of word meanings, which is proposed to be used online. The service allows:


  • to find out the exact meaning of a word or idiom;
  • determine its correct spelling;
  • understand how to properly emphasize it.

The site offers to get acquainted with the history of the word. It tells what language or culture it came from, when and by whom it was used in speech.

When looking up the meaning of words in a dictionary, it is important to understand its essence. After all, the sound component of each lexical unit in the language is inextricably linked with certain objects or phenomena. That is why when using the service, you should not put an equal sign between the meaning of the searched word and its concept. They are interconnected, but they are not a single whole. For example, the concept of the word "center" can be defined as the middle of something. However, specific meanings can indicate the interior of a room, a city, a geometric figure, etc. Sometimes it refers to a medical organization, mathematics or mechanical engineering. Polysemy is the complexity of the Russian language.

Finding values ​​through WordMap

In order to find out what a word means, painstaking work has been carried out. After all, different manuals and collections can give different meanings of the same lexical constructions. To get the most complete picture of the word, you should contact the WordMap service. The system contains values ​​from the most popular and authoritative sources, including dictionaries:


  • Ozhegov;
  • Dahl;
  • medical;
  • cities;
  • jargons;
  • TSB, etc.

Thanks to this, you can find out not only all bookish, but also figurative meanings of a lexical construction.

Just searched:

morh 2 seconds ago

anti-Soviet 2 seconds ago

hegaev 3 seconds ago

coati 4 seconds ago

ship location 4 seconds ago

ran away from0007

Black 6 seconds ago

Sybetio 6 seconds ago

Ferromagnet 7 seconds ago

contagious 8 seconds ago

Bogomilism 8 seconds ago

Skornyaki-Pisarev Grigory Grigoryevich 9000 seconds 9 seconds 9 seconds ago

Name seconds ago

expired 11 seconds ago

Your rating

Close

Thank you for your rating!

Close

Latest Word Games

Name Word Guessed Time Location
Mac myopia 43 words 1 hour ago 89. 22.206.165
Fiennes recorder 26 words 1 hour ago 89.22.206.165
EFMKA salmon 0 words 4 hours ago 212.3.194.123
Player 4 district military commissariat 120 words 5 hours ago 91.222.216.36
Player 5 cock 0 words 12 hours ago 185.210.140.55
Player 6 reupload 0 words 18 hours ago 178.140.128.144
Player 7 calibration 133 words 21 hours ago 91.222.216.36
Play Words!
Name Word Account Location
Player 1 shade 10:10 40 minutes ago 94. 245.148.194
Player 2 shade 5:6 41 minutes ago 94.245.148.194
Player 3 rafik 57:56 53 minutes ago 94.245.148.194
Player 4 pylon 10:12 54 minutes ago 94.245.148.194
Player 5 know 58:51 3 hours ago 176.98.51.142
Player 6 cybik 50:54 3 hours ago 176.98.51.142
Player 7 jock 6:5 3 hours ago 176.98.51.142
Play Balda!
Name Game Questions Location
111 For one 10 questions 2 hours ago 188.32.194.38
A For one 10 questions 2 hours ago 46.
Learn more