Paramour
Definition
A paramour is a lover or sexual partner, especially someone involved in an affair or a secret or illicit relationship. The word is often dated or literary, and can refer specifically to a married person’s adulterous partner.
Quick Facts
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What does paramour mean?
Paramour refers to a person who is the object of someone’s romantic love or sexual desire. In particular, it can mean a lover or sexual partner outside marriage, especially in a secret or adulterous affair.
The noun is generally dated or literary. As a verb, paramour means to have an illicit or secret affair with someone, especially a person who is not one’s spouse.
How paramour is used
The word often presents a lover as part of a romance or affair rather than as a spouse or ordinary dating partner. Older usage can also use paramour for a lover in a broader sense.
Paramour is also found in historical or literary descriptions of a woman loved by a knight.