A gentle glossary for people who are new to polyamory and related relationship language.
Common terms
- Polyamory, a form of consensual non-monogamy where people may have multiple romantic or emotionally significant relationships with the knowledge and consent of everyone involved.
- ENM, short for ethical non-monogamy, an umbrella term that includes polyamory and other consensual non-monogamous relationship structures.
- Nesting partner, a partner you live with or share a household with.
- Hierarchy, a relationship structure where some relationships have more priority, authority, or entanglement than others.
- Compersion, a feeling of happiness or warmth about a partner’s joy or connection with someone else.
- Boundaries, limits around your own behavior, needs, capacity, and emotional safety.
- Rules, agreements or restrictions that attempt to govern what people can or cannot do in a relationship system.
This glossary is meant to make conversations easier to enter, not to tell anyone there is only one right way to structure relationships.