A woman who commits adultery; a woman unfaithful to her marriage vows.
From 'adulter' (adulterer) with the feminine -ess suffix. An older or formal alternative to the gender-neutral 'person who commits adultery.'
The word 'adultress' appears prominently in biblical and classical literature as a symbol of danger and moral corruption—interestingly, it's almost always the woman who is vilified in historical accounts, even when both partners violated their vows equally.
Feminine '-ess' suffix applied to woman who commits adultery, creating gender-marked category that linguistically and culturally heightens condemnation. Male form 'adulterer' remains unmarked default.
Use 'adulterer' for any person; specify gender only when contextually relevant as 'man/woman who committed adultery'.
["adulterer","person who committed adultery"]
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