I have looked them both up in the dictionary and I do not see much of a difference. And the olny thing I can assume is that bigamy is done secretly and polygamy is done openly? Am I correct? I am not sure I am putting this is the right category so sorry if I didn't!
2006-08-31 14:20:48 · 23 answers · asked by jd77 3 in News & Events ➔ Current Events
Two wives and many wives.
2006-08-31 14:24:05 · answer #1 · answered by Atheist81 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Bigamy is marrying a second time while the first marriage is still legally in effect. Polygamy is marrying two or more times while the first marriage is still in effect. Usually, polygamists have 3 or more spouses, whereas bigamists have 2 spouses. Both bigamy and polygamy are illegal in the United States.
2006-09-01 00:18:47 · answer #2 · answered by Laura K 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Polygamy.-When a man is allowed to have several wives.
It is the status where a man got several wives, more than 2
Bigamy.-When a person is married to 2 people.
I think the difference is the number of spouses. Polygamy is more than 2 and bigamy is just 2.
2006-08-31 21:31:26 · answer #3 · answered by C6 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The person who said that polygamy is many wives, while bigamy is two wives is right in the literal meaning of the word.
The legal/social definition is what you are talking about. Bigamy is when a man lies about being married, and marries additional wives. Polygamy refers to situations where multiple wives know about each other and usually live together in a house or complex.
2006-08-31 21:28:35 · answer #4 · answered by Tina K 3 · 4⤊ 0⤋
There isn't much difference except in polygamy it is usual for all spouses to live together whereas in bigamy at least one of the parties believes the marriage to be monogamous. So deceit is an ingredient in bigamy which is not necessary in polygamy.
2006-08-31 22:25:47 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
bigamy means 2 wives, polygamy means more than 1 wife.
2006-08-31 21:24:57 · answer #6 · answered by list 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Bigamy is two wives Polygamy is three or more.
2006-08-31 21:24:35 · answer #7 · answered by zara01 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The prefix bi means two. The prefix poly means many. Therefore bigamy means having two wives and polygamy means having many wives.
2006-08-31 21:27:49 · answer #8 · answered by Smackers 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Bigamy is having two spouses (one more than normal for most people ;) ) and Polygamy is having more than two. . usually lots more.
2006-08-31 21:27:11 · answer #9 · answered by hollyfo 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
two times 10
2006-08-31 23:12:18 · answer #10 · answered by vanessa 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Bigamy is only two, polygamy is many.
2006-08-31 21:25:23 · answer #11 · answered by hooska911 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋