Polygyny vs. Harem — What's the Difference?

Polygyny (; from Neoclassical Greek πολυγυνία from πολύ- poly- "many", and γυνή gyne "woman" or "wife") is the most common and accepted form of polygamy, entailing the marriage of a man with several women.

Harem (Arabic: حريم‎ ḥarīm, "a sacred inviolable place; harem; female members of the family") properly refers to domestic spaces that are reserved for the women of the house in a Muslim family. This private space has been traditionally understood as serving the purposes of maintaining the modesty, privilege, and seclusion of women from other men.

Polygamy in which a man has more than one wife.

A house or a section of a house reserved for women members of a Muslim household.

The condition or practice of having more than one wife at one time.

The wives, concubines, female relatives, and servants occupying such a place.

A mating pattern in which a male mates with more than one female in a single breeding season.

A group of women who are sexual partners of the same man.

The condition of having more than one queen. Used of an insect colony.

A group of female animals that breed exclusively with a single dominant male.

The state or practice of having several wives at the same time; plurality of wives; marriage to several wives.

The private section of an Arab household, traditionally forbidden to male strangers.

The condition of an ant colony that has multiple egg-laying queens.

A group of someone's girlfriends, wives and/or concubines in a polygamous household.

The state or practice of having several wives at the same time; marriage to several wives.

A group of female animals (cows) herded and controlled by a male animal (bull) of that species for breeding purposes. Such behaviour is exhibited by bovids including cattle and buffalo as well as moose, elephants, seals, sea lions, baboons, and elephant seals.

Having more than one wife at a time

(ornithology) A group of female birds mated to or associated with a breeding male.

(slang) Any significant number of women together as a group; a bevy.

(uncountable) A genre of anime and manga in which a man is the love interest of three or more women.

The apartments or portion of the house allotted to females in Mohammedan families.

The family of wives and concubines belonging to one man, in Mohammedan countries; a seraglio.

Living quarters reserved for wives and concubines and female relatives in a Muslim household