Which term refers to the practice of having multiple spouses at the same time?

Study for the Dantes General Anthropology Exam. Use flashcards and multiple choice questions, each question comes with hints and explanations. Prepare effectively for your assessment!

Polygamy refers to the practice of having multiple spouses simultaneously. This term encompasses various forms of marital arrangements, where individuals are legally or culturally permitted to have more than one spouse at the same time. In many societies, polygamy can manifest as polygyny (one man married to multiple women) or polyandry (one woman married to multiple men), each with its own cultural and legal implications.

On the other hand, monogamy signifies a marital structure where an individual has only one spouse at a time. Exogamy and endogamy refer to norms regarding marriage outside of or within a particular social group or community, respectively, and do not pertain to the number of spouses an individual can have. Thus, polygamy is specifically the term that captures the idea of multiple spouses.

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