A Polyamory Glossary

Compersion: The opposite of jealousy; the feelings of happiness that your lover(s) are also loving and being loved by other lovers. Coined by the Keristan Commune of San Francisco, which practiced polyfidelity and was disbanded in the early 1990s.

Condom Commitment: Agreement to confine exchange of bodily fluids and barrier-free intercourse to a closed group whose members have been screened for sexually transmitted diseases. A.k.a. safe-sex circle.

Inclusive Relationship: One in which all partners agree to include more lovers into their relationship.

Lovestyle: A consciously thought-out and chosen type of sexual/love relationship.

Open Relationship: One in which all partners agree that they can have sexual relations outside of that relationship and independently of one another.

Poly: Short for polyamorous.

Polyamory: The non-possessive, honest, responsible ethical philosophy and practice of loving multiple people simultaneously. Based on the conscious choice of how many partners one wishes to be involved with, rather than accepting social norms that dictate monogamy as the only acceptable form of love.

Polyfidelity: A group in which all partners are primary to all other partners and sexual fidelity is to the group. More primary partners can be added with the entire group's consent. Coined by the Kerista Commune.

Serial Monogamy: Succession of monogamous partners over time; overlapping sexuality only in the transition from the current to the next partner.