Understanding One-Word Substitution for Marriage Terms

The question asks for a single word that describes the state of being married to only one person at a time. This is a common type of vocabulary question found in English language sections of competitive exams.

Let's look at the options provided and understand what each word means:

• Monogamy: This term comes from Greek words 'monos' meaning 'single' or 'one' and 'gamos' meaning 'marriage'. It refers to the practice or state of being married to one person at a particular time.
• Polygamy: This term comes from Greek words 'polus' meaning 'many' and 'gamos' meaning 'marriage'. It refers to the practice or state of being married to more than one person at the same time.
• Homogamy: This term comes from Greek words 'homos' meaning 'same' and 'gamos' meaning 'marriage'. In sociology, it refers to marriage between individuals who are similar to each other in some significant characteristic, such as socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, or religion. It is not related to the number of spouses.
• Bigamy: This term comes from Latin 'bi-' meaning 'two' and Greek 'gamos' meaning 'marriage'. It refers to the act of entering into a marriage with one person while still legally married to another. It specifically means being illegally married to two people simultaneously.

Now, let's compare the definitions with the phrase "The state of being married to one person at a time".

• Monogamy directly matches this description. It is the practice of having only one spouse at any given point in time.
• Polygamy means having multiple spouses simultaneously, which is the opposite of being married to one person at a time.
• Homogamy describes similarity between spouses, not the number of spouses.
• Bigamy describes the illegal act of being married to two people simultaneously, not the legal state of being married to just one.

Therefore, the most appropriate one-word substitution for "The state of being married to one person at a time" is Monogamy.

Comparing Marriage Terminology

Here is a table summarizing the terms:

Revision Table: Key Vocabulary

Additional Information on Marriage Practices

Marriage practices vary across cultures and legal systems. While monogamy is prevalent in many parts of the world, other forms of marriage exist or have existed historically. Understanding these terms helps in comprehending different social structures and legal frameworks related to marriage.

• Polygamy itself has variations:
  • Polygyny: A man is married to more than one woman at the same time.
  • Polyandry: A woman is married to more than one man at the same time.
• Serial Monogamy: Practicing monogamy but having a series of marriages/spouses over a lifetime, one after the other.
• Group Marriage: Multiple men and women are married to each other simultaneously.

These variations highlight the diverse ways societies define and practice marriage, but the core definition of Monogamy remains being married to a single person at any given moment.