There’s a lot of terminolgy to keep straight if you’re new to Poly and/or nonmonogamy. Hell, even if you’ve been nonmonogamous forever there are still new terms created often.
Here’s a glossary of the top terms related to polyamory and nonmonogamous relationships, listed alphabetically:
Anchor Partner: A partner who provides a sense of stability and security, often seen as a long-term or life partner.
Compersion: A feeling of joy when a partner experiences joy with another partner.
Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT): A type of nonmonogamous agreement where partners do not share details about their other relationships.
Ethical Nonmonogamy (ENM): Relationships that involve multiple consensual romantic or sexual relationships.
Fluid Bonding: The agreement to exchange bodily fluids, typically in a sexual context, with specific partners, often implying a level of trust and exclusivity.
Hierarchy: A structure in polyamorous relationships where some relationships are prioritized over others.
Kitchen Table Polyamory: A type of polyamorous relationship where all members feel comfortable and connected enough to sit down together, like at a kitchen table.
Metamour: A partner’s partner, with whom one does not share a direct romantic or sexual relationship.
New Relationship Energy (NRE): The excitement and euphoria of a new romantic or sexual relationship.
Non-Hierarchical Polyamory: A polyamorous relationship structure where no relationship is prioritized over others.
Open Relationship: A relationship where partners agree that they can pursue romantic or sexual relationships with other people.
Paramour: A romantic partner, often used to refer to a partner outside of the primary relationship.
Parallel Polyamory: A polyamorous relationship style where multiple relationships are maintained separately, with minimal interaction between partners’ partners (metamours).
Polyamory: The practice of engaging in multiple consensual romantic or sexual relationships.
Polyfidelity: A form of polyamory where all partners agree to be romantically or sexually exclusive with each other.
Polycule: A network of interconnected polyamorous relationships, often visualized like a molecule.
Primary Partner: A main partner in a hierarchical polyamorous relationship.
Quad: A polyamorous relationship involving four people.
Relationship Anarchy (RA): A philosophy that rejects traditional rules and norms around relationships, emphasizing autonomy and individual agreements.
Satellite Partner: A partner who is less involved in one’s daily life and decisions, often due to distance or personal choice.
Secondary Partner: A partner in a hierarchical polyamorous relationship who is considered less primary than the primary partner.
Solo Polyamory: Practicing polyamory without a primary partner, often valuing independence and autonomy.
Swinging: Engaging in sexual activities with others, typically as a couple, without forming romantic relationships.
Triad: A polyamorous relationship involving three people, where all members are connected romantically or sexually.
Vee (or V): A polyamorous relationship involving three people where one person is the central connection point between two others, who are not romantically or sexually involved with each other.
These terms form the foundational vocabulary for discussing and understanding polyamorous and nonmonogamous relationships. This is not an exahaustive list by any means. I’ll be adding to it as I’m able to and as I come across new terms.
I hope you find this helpful.