paramour
noun
par·amour
ˈper-ə-ˌmu̇r 
ˈpa-rə-
: lover
specifically
: an illicit or secret lover
a married man and his paramour
Her account put him in the position of looking like the duped lover believing the cheating married paramour's protestation of love … —
Bettina Drew
Bettina Drew 
Did you know?
Paramour came to English from French (a language based on Latin), though the modern French don't use the word. Since par amour meant "through love", it implies a relationship based solely on love, often physical love, rather than on social custom or ceremony. So today it tends to refer to the lover of a married man or woman, but may be used for any lover who isn't obeying the social rules.
Examples of paramour in a Sentence
And faster than you can say "You've got mail!" he fell hard for his unseen paramour.
—Kipp Cheng, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Oct. 1998
His Vietnamese paramour was a young woman of remarkable beauty.
—Neil Sheehan, A Bright Shining Lie, 1988
As the vessel made sail immediately, and landed no part of their cargo, there seemed little doubt that they were accomplices of the notorious Robertson, and that the vessel had only come into the firth to carry off his paramour.
—Walter Scott, The Heart of Midlothian, 1818
Kipp Cheng, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Oct. 1998
His Vietnamese paramour was a young woman of remarkable beauty.
—Neil Sheehan, A Bright Shining Lie, 1988
As the vessel made sail immediately, and landed no part of their cargo, there seemed little doubt that they were accomplices of the notorious Robertson, and that the vessel had only come into the firth to carry off his paramour.
—Walter Scott, The Heart of Midlothian, 1818
Recent Examples on the Web
Swift has been seen about town with famous friends, paramours and even one of her cats from time to time.
—
Lily Boyce,
New York Times,
2 July 2026
Frankly, any online paramour who asks for money and yet promises a plane should be treated with extreme suspicion.
—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
30 June 2026
Ted Danson is apologizing for roasting onetime paramour Whoopi Goldberg while wearing blackface.
—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
As the media narrative went, a 27-year-old gay serial killer named Andrew Cunanan had murdered five wealthy gay paramours, the last of whom was the fashion designer Gianni Versace.
—
Adam Turner,
Vanity Fair,
1 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for paramour
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Lily Boyce,
New York Times,
2 July 2026
Frankly, any online paramour who asks for money and yet promises a plane should be treated with extreme suspicion.
—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
30 June 2026
Ted Danson is apologizing for roasting onetime paramour Whoopi Goldberg while wearing blackface.
—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
As the media narrative went, a 27-year-old gay serial killer named Andrew Cunanan had murdered five wealthy gay paramours, the last of whom was the fashion designer Gianni Versace.
—
Adam Turner,
Vanity Fair,
1 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for paramour
Cite this Entry
“Paramour.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paramour. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
paramour
noun
par·amour
ˈpar-ə-ˌmu̇r
: a partner in a sexual relationship other than that of husband and wife
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
