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
Soft, sheer fabrics rustled against the interior walls as Anula surged through the concubine estate.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 20 Feb. 2025
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
Soft, sheer fabrics rustled against the interior walls as Anula surged through the concubine estate.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for concubine
Recent Examples of Synonyms for concubine
Noun
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These are Dove chocolate–sized strawberry marshmallows, coated in milk chocolate, and the overall effect is as romantic as being caught on the Kiss Cam with your mistress.—
Alex Beggs,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
7 Feb. 2026
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George built it in the early 18th century, the story goes, to accommodate his mistress, Melusine von der Schulenburg, Duchess of Kendal.—
Bailey Bujnosek,
InStyle,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Science aside, a batch of these will win over any chocolate lover, regardless of where their brownie loyalties lie.—
Maggie Meyer Glisan,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 Feb. 2026
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Looking to build out a universe or find a great gift for a pop culture lover?—
Brittany Anas,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Concubine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/concubine. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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