What is "adultery"

Adultery \A*dul"ter*y\, n.; pl. Adulteries. [L. adulterium. See Advoutry.]

1. The unfaithfulness of a married person to the marriage bed; sexual intercourse by a married man with another than his wife, or voluntary sexual intercourse by a married woman with another than her husband.

   Note: It is adultery on the part of the married wrongdoer. The word has also been used to characterize the act of an unmarried participator, the other being married. In the United States the definition varies with the local statutes. Unlawful intercourse between two married persons is sometimes called double adultery; between a married and an unmarried person, single adultery.

2. Adulteration; corruption. [Obs.]
   --B. Jonson.

3. (Script.)

   1. Lewdness or unchastity of thought as well as act, as forbidden by the seventh commandment.

   2. Faithlessness in religion.
      --Jer. iii. 9.

4. (Old Law) The fine and penalty imposed for the offense of adultery.

5. (Eccl.) The intrusion of a person into a bishopric during the life of the bishop.

6. Injury; degradation; ruin. [Obs.]

   You might wrest the caduceus out of my hand to the adultery and spoil of nature.
   --B. Jonson.

"voluntary violation of the marriage bed," c.1300, avoutrie, from Old French avouterie (12c.), noun of condition from avoutre, from Latin adulterare "to corrupt" (see adulteration). Modern spelling, with the re-inserted -d-, is from early 15c. (see ad-).\n

\nIn Middle English, also "sex between husband and wife for recreational purposes; idolatry, perversion, heresy." Classified as single adultery (with an unmarried person) and double adultery (with a married person). Old English word was æwbryce "breach of law(ful marriage)" (compare German Ehebruch). Adultery Dune in Arizona corresponds to Navajo sei adilehe "adultery sand," where illicit lovers met privately.

n. 1 Sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse. 2 (context Bible English) Lewdness or unchastity of thought as well as act, as forbidden by the seventh commandment. 3 (context Bible English) Faithlessness in religion. 4 (context obsolete English) The fine and penalty formerly imposed for the offence of adultery. 5 (context ecclesiastical English) The intrusion of a person into a bishopric during the life of the bishop. 6 (context Political economy English) adulteration; corruption 7 (context obsolete English) injury; degradation; ruin

n. extramarital sex that willfully and maliciously interferes with marriage relations; "adultery is often cited as grounds for divorce" [syn: criminal conversation, fornication]

Adultery is a concept album by Dog Fashion Disco, their sixth album, released in 2006, and last album to be released by the band before their dissolution in 2007. The album loosely follows the story of a private detective.

Adultery ( 간통 Gantong) is a 1989 South Korean film.

Adultery is a form of extramarital sex.

Adultery may also refer to:

• Adultery (Do-Re-Mi album)
• Adultery (Dog Fashion Disco album)
• Adultery (1945 film), a 1945 Mexican film
• Adultery (1989 film), a 1989 South Korean film
• Adultery (novel), a 2014 novel by Paulo Coelho

Adultery is a novel by Brazilian author Paulo Coelho. It is the sixteenth major book by Coelho, and touches on the theme of adultery. Adultery was written in Coelho's native language, Portuguese. The Portuguese edition was released on April 10th, 2014. The (American) English edition is published by Knopf and along with the Spanish edition was published on August 19, 2014.

Adultery'' (Spanish:Adulterio'') is a 1945 Mexican drama film directed by José Díaz Morales and starring Rosario Granados, Julio Villarreal and Hilde Krüger.

Adultery ( anglicised from Latin adulterium) is extramarital sex that is considered objectionable on social, religious, moral or legal grounds. Though what sexual activities constitute adultery varies, as well as the social, religious and legal consequences, the concept exists in many cultures and is similar in Islam, Christianity and Judaism. A single act of sexual intercourse is generally sufficient to constitute adultery, and a more long-term sexual relationship is sometimes referred to as an affair.

Historically, many cultures have considered adultery as a very serious crime. Adultery often incurred severe punishment, usually for the woman and sometimes for the man, with penalties including capital punishment, mutilation or torture. Such punishments have gradually fallen into disfavor, especially in Western countries from the 19th century. In most Western countries, adultery itself is no longer a criminal offense, but may still have legal consequences, particularly in divorce cases. For example, in fault-based family law jurisdictions, adultery almost always constitutes a ground for divorce and may be a factor in property settlement, the custody of children, the denial of alimony, etc. Adultery is not a ground for divorce in jurisdictions which have adopted a no-fault divorce model. In some societies and among certain religious adherents, adultery may affect the social status of those involved, and may result in social ostracism.

In countries where adultery is a criminal offense, punishments range from fines to caning and even capital punishment. Since the 20th century, criminal laws against adultery have become controversial, with international organizations calling for their abolition, especially in the light of several high-profile stoning cases that have occurred in some countries. The head of the United Nations expert body charged with identifying ways to eliminate laws that discriminate against women or are discriminatory to them in terms of implementation or impact, Kamala Chandrakirana, has stated that: "Adultery must not be classified as a criminal offence at all". A joint statement by the United Nations Working Group on discrimination against women in law and in practice states that: "Adultery as a criminal offence violates women’s human rights".

In Muslim countries that follow sharia law, the punishment for adultery may be stoning. There are 15 countries where stoning is authorized as lawful punishment; however instances have occurred outside the legal system (extrajudicially). Most countries that criminalize adultery are those where the dominant religion is Islam, and several Sub-Saharan African Christian-majority countries, but there are some notable exceptions to this rule, namely Philippines, Taiwan, and several US states. In some jurisdictions, having sexual relations with the king's wife or the wife of his eldest son constitutes treason. By analogy, in cultures which value and normally practice exclusive interpersonal relationships, sexual relations with a person outside the relationship may also be described as infidelity or cheating, and is subject to sanction.

Adultery is the CD/ EP album by Australian rock/ pop group Do-Ré-Mi which was released by Virgin Records in October 1987. The EP has five tracks, which were written by lead vocalist Deborah Conway, drummer Dorland Bray, bass guitarist Helen Carter and guitarist Stephen Philip. Do-Ré-Mi's debut single " Man Overboard" had been top 5 hit in 1985, but Adultery, which charted on the National singles charts, had less chart success. It was released as a single in different forms for UK, German and North American markets, the Australian 1987 CD version had five tracks.