adulteress

noun

adul·​ter·​ess ə-ˈdəl-t(ə-)rəs How to pronounce adulteress (audio)
variants or less commonly adultress
ə-ˈdəl-trəs How to pronounce adulteress (audio)
: a woman who commits adultery

Examples of adulteress in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Klytemnestra is no longer a power-hungry adulteress but a generic grieving mother. — James Frankie Thomas, Vulture, 27 July 2022 Although the figure of Jesus is prominent in the painting, the adulteress is central. — Smithsonian Magazine, 29 July 2025 In any case, whether Mary Ellen is seen as the flighty adulteress who deservedly dies a sad early death or as the unfortunate source of Meredith’s creative invention, the woman herself, in all her complexity, seems to disappear. — Hermione Lee, The New York Review of Books, 3 Dec. 2020

Word History

Etymology

alteration (conformed to Latin adulter) of Middle English avoutresse, advowteresse, borrowed from Anglo-French avouteresse, from avouter adulterer + -esse -ess

First Known Use

1542, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of adulteress was in 1542

Rhymes for adulteress

See All Rhymes for adulteress

Browse Nearby Words

adulterer
adulteress
adulterine
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Adulteress.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/adulteress. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

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