Glossary

Polyamory: Polyamory is the practice of having more than one loving or romantic relationship at the same time, with the knowledge and consent of everyone involved. It focuses on emotional connection as well as physical intimacy.
Ethical non-monogamy (ENM): Ethical non-monogamy is an umbrella term for any relationship style where partners openly agree that romantic or sexual connections outside the couple are allowed. Polyamory, swinging and open relationships all fall under ENM.
Consensual non-monogamy (CNM): Consensual non-monogamy means the same as ethical non-monogamy: relationships where everyone involved knows about and agrees to connections beyond the primary partnership.
Swinging: Swinging is a form of non-monogamy in which committed couples, together, have recreational intimate experiences with other couples or singles, usually while keeping their emotional relationship exclusive.
Open relationship: An open relationship is a partnership in which both partners agree they may have sexual connections with other people, typically without forming additional romantic relationships.
Compersion: Compersion is the feeling of joy at seeing a partner happy with someone else. It is often described as the opposite of jealousy and is a common goal in polyamorous relationships.
Metamour: A metamour is your partner's other partner — someone you are connected to through a shared partner rather than dating directly.
NRE (new relationship energy): New relationship energy is the excitement and intense attraction felt at the start of a new connection. In ENM, partners learn to enjoy NRE without neglecting existing relationships.
Unicorn: In the lifestyle, a unicorn is a single person, usually a bisexual woman, who dates or plays with an established couple. The term reflects how rarely couples find someone who fits.
Unicorn hunting: Unicorn hunting describes couples searching for a single third partner, often with rules that favour the couple. It is widely criticised when the third person's needs are ignored.
Kitchen-table polyamory: Kitchen-table polyamory is a style where everyone in a polycule is comfortable spending time together — friendly enough to share a kitchen table over coffee.
Parallel polyamory: Parallel polyamory is a style where each partner's relationships run separately, with little or no contact between metamours.
Hierarchical polyamory: Hierarchical polyamory gives one relationship (the primary) priority over others in decisions such as time, finances or living arrangements.
Polycule: A polycule is the network of people connected through polyamorous relationships — partners, their partners, and so on.
Soft swap: Soft swap means couples share intimacy with others short of full intercourse. The exact limits are agreed in advance by each couple.
Full swap: Full swap means couples agree that full intercourse with other partners is allowed, always within boundaries both partners have set beforehand.
Monogamish: Monogamish describes a mostly monogamous couple who allow occasional, agreed exceptions — for example an experience together at a club.
Cuckolding: Cuckolding is a consensual dynamic in which one partner enjoys their partner being intimate with someone else. It relies on clear communication and consent from all involved.
The lifestyle: "The lifestyle" is the community's own name for consensual non-monogamy practised by couples, especially swinging and the clubs and events around it.
Bull: In the lifestyle, a bull is a confident single man who meets a couple, often in a cuckolding or hotwife dynamic, with the couple's agreed boundaries.