A woman who commits adultery, or has a sexual or romantic relationship with someone other than her spouse.
From Old French 'adultere,' from Latin 'adulterare' (to corrupt, to defile). The gendered form '-ess' emphasizes the female subject.
Historically, the word 'adulteress' carried brutal social consequences for women while 'adulterer' was often overlooked—this gendered language imbalance shaped centuries of legal codes where women faced execution while men faced mere gossip.
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