CultureAugust 1, 2026

adulteress

uh-DUL-ter-is

Definition

A woman who engages in sexual relations with someone other than her spouse.

Etymology

The word stems from the Latin 'adulterare', meaning to pollute, corrupt, or commit adultery, which combined the prefix 'ad-' (to) with 'alter' (other).

In the news

In the article, the word is used to describe how female characters are reduced to simple, one-dimensional tropes like the 'repentant adulteress' in a film adaptation.

Emily Wilson · An Uncomplicated Man

Read the full article ↗

London Review of Books

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