Promiscuity
Promiscuity – from the Latin promiscuus, meaning “mixed,” “indiscriminate,” or “common” – sexual relations with multiple partners, frequently without stable or exclusive partnerships.
In nineteenth-century evolutionary anthropology, the term promiscuity was used to describe a hypothetical form of sexual relations in early human societies in which sexual behaviour was believed not to be regulated by established social norms. Promiscuity was regarded by some theorists as a stage preceding the emergence of marriage and the family.
The existence of such a universal historical stage has not been established and is generally regarded as a speculative element of early evolutionary theories of society.
In contemporary usage, promiscuity refers to sexual relations with numerous or frequently changing partners. Since the term may carry a moralizing or stigmatizing connotation, academic writing often uses more neutral expressions such as multiple sexual partnerships, casual sexual relations, or frequent partner change, depending on the context.
Promiscuity should not be equated with polyamory or other forms of consensual non-monogamy, which involve openly negotiated relationships and agreed boundaries.
See also: Sexuality, Monogamy, Polyamory, Consensual Non-Monogamy.
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