Polyamory

Hierarchical Polyamory 

 Relationships are structured with different levels of commitment and priority.
 

• Descriptive Hierarchical Polyamory – Hierarchy exists naturally based on circumstances, such as shared responsibilities (e.g., co-parenting, finances), rather than imposed rules.
• Prescriptive Hierarchical Polyamory – Partners explicitly set and enforce a hierarchy with rules about time, priority, and relationship boundaries.

Non-Hierarchical Polyamory – All partners are considered equal without ranking or prioritization.
 

Solo Polyamory – Individuals maintain autonomy and independence while engaging in multiple relationships.
 

Relationship Anarchy – No predefined rules or expectations; relationships are formed based on mutual agreements.
 

Kitchen Table Polyamory – Partners and metamours are comfortable interacting like a family or community.
 

Parallel Polyamory – Partners and metamours do not interact or engage with each other.
 

Vee (V) Polyamory – One person has two partners who are not romantically or sexually involved with each other.
 

Triad (Throuple) Polyamory – Three people in a romantic or sexual relationship, either equally connected or with varying dynamics.
 

Quad Polyamory – Four people involved in interconnected relationships, often starting with two couples.
 

Polycule – A network of interconnected relationships forming a complex web of partners and metamours.
 

Closed Polyamory (Polyfidelity) – A committed group of multiple people who only date within the group.
 

Open Polyamory – Partners are free to pursue additional relationships outside of their primary or existing connections.
 

Swinging – Primarily focused on recreational sex with multiple partners, often within a committed couple dynamic.
 

Open Relationship – A broad term for any committed partnership where individuals can engage with others romantically or sexually.
 

Mono-Poly Relationships – One partner is polyamorous while the other is monogamous.
 

Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT) Polyamory – Partners engage with others without sharing details about external relationships.
 

Casual Polyamory – Focuses on non-committed, low-pressure multiple relationships.
 

Intentional Community Polyamory – Groups that build intentional families or communities around shared values and polyamorous connections.
 

Polyamory Fluidity – A flexible approach where relationship structures, levels of commitment, or openness change over time based on evolving needs and dynamics.

Comet Polyamory – These relationships are deep and meaningful but not part of daily life, often due to distance or lifestyle. There’s little to no day-to-day entanglement, and long gaps between interactions are expected without diminishing the bond. 

• Compersion – Feeling joy or happiness when a partner experiences love or pleasure with another person.
• Metamour – A partner’s partner with whom you are not romantically or sexually involved.
• New Relationship Energy (NRE) – The excitement and euphoria felt at the beginning of a new relationship.
• Established Relationship Energy (ERE) – The deep, stable, and comfortable energy of a long-term relationship.
• Polysaturation – The state of having enough relationships and feeling unable to take on more.
• Relationship Escalator – The societal expectation that relationships must progress in a linear way (dating → exclusivity → cohabitation → marriage, etc.), which many polyamorous people reject.
• Anchor Partner – A significant, long-term partner who provides stability in one’s polyamorous life, similar to a life partner.
• Nest Partner – A partner with whom one shares a home or cohabitates.
• Parallel Polyamory – Partners and metamours are aware of each other but do not interact.
• Paramour – Another term for a partner in a non-monogamous relationship.
• Comet Partner – A partner who comes into one’s life periodically, like a "comet," due to distance or life circumstances.
• Unicorn – A bisexual, single woman sought by a couple for a romantic or sexual relationship, often with specific rules.
• Unicorn Hunting – The often-criticized practice of couples seeking a third person (usually a woman) under rigid conditions.
• Cowgirl/Cowboy/Cowperson – A person who enters a polyamorous relationship but ultimately tries to "rope" their partner into monogamy.
• Primary/Secondary Partner – Labels used in hierarchical polyamory to indicate different levels of commitment.
• Veering – When a previously polyamorous individual or couple shifts toward monogamy.
• Polyflexible – A person who leans toward polyamory but may sometimes engage in monogamous relationships.
• Monogamish – A mostly monogamous relationship that allows some outside sexual connections.
• Openness Spectrum – The varying degrees of relationship openness, ranging from fully open to more structured polyamory.
• Emotional Polyamory – Focuses on deep romantic and emotional connections rather than casual sex.
• Sexual Polyamory – Prioritizes multiple sexual connections rather than emotional involvement.
• Relationship Anarchy (RA) – A philosophy that rejects traditional relationship hierarchies and predefined rules.
• Nest-building – The process of merging lives with a partner, including cohabitation and shared responsibilities.
• Ongoing Consent – The principle that agreements in polyamory are fluid and should be regularly revisited and renegotiated.
• Pivot Partner – A person in a Vee (V) relationship who connects two partners who are not romantically or sexually involved.