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Promiscuity vs Adultery - What's the difference?

promiscuity | adultery |

As nouns the difference between promiscuity and adultery

is that promiscuity is the state or quality of being promiscuous while adultery is sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse.

promiscuity

English

Noun

(promiscuities)
  • The state or quality of being promiscuous.
  • # Indiscriminateness in the choice of sexual partners.
  • # (dated, literary) State of being mixed, composed of diverse elements, unsystematic; heterogeneity.
  • #* 1919 ,
  • While I dressed—for Stroeve wished me to go at once with him to the hospital—he told me that he had arranged for his wife to have a private room, so that she might at least be spared the sordid promiscuity of a ward.
  • adultery

    Alternative forms

    * advowtry (obsolete)

    Noun

    (adulteries)
  • Sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse.
  • She engaged in adultery because her spouse has a low libido, while hers is very high.
  • (Bible) Lewdness or unchastity of thought as well as act, as forbidden by the seventh commandment.
  • (Bible) Faithlessness in religion.
  • And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks. (King James Version)
  • (obsolete) The fine and penalty formerly imposed for the offence of adultery.
  • (ecclesiastical) The intrusion of a person into a bishopric during the life of the bishop.
  • (obsolete) adulteration; corruption
  • (Ben Jonson)
  • (obsolete) injury; degradation; ruin
  • * Ben Jonson
  • You might wrest the caduceus out of my hand to the adultery and spoil of nature.