Gender & Sexuality dictionary
polycule
[pol-ee-kyool]
ºÚÁÏÍø does polycule mean?
A ±è´Ç±ô²â³¦³Ü±ô±ð,Ìýin the polyamory and BDSM (bondage, discipline, sadism, and masochism) communities, is a word that refers to all the people in a network of non-monogamous relationships (not being committed to one person at a time). Polycule can also refer to diagrams of these relationship networks.
Where does polycule come from?
You’re right to think polycule sounds science-y. The word is a blend of poly- (meaning “many,” as in polyamorous, or simultaneously and consensually being in multiple serious romantic or sexual relationships) and molecule.
A polycule is a connected network of people in non-monogamous relationships. The term apparently likens such a network to a model of a chemical molecule, which uses lines, circular shapes, or symbols to indicate bonds between atoms.
US Geological Survey
Polycules can take many different forms, such as a triad (three people in a relationship with each other) or a quad (four people). Polycule describe all of these relationships.
Evidence for the term polycule online dates back to at least 2007. It was widely embraced as a term in the early 2010s in the polyamorous community, spreading on personal blogs, social media sites like Reddit, and polyamory forums like polyamory.com.
Polycule received mainstream attention at the end of 2018, when actor Ezra Miller talked about being in a polycule during an interview with Playboy magazine.
Examples of polycule
Who uses polycule?
Polycule is often used in the LGBTQ+, BDSM, and polyamory communities online — and their intersections therein. Polycule often has the connotation of “family.”
Many people in the polyamory community may humorously liken existing groups to (or ship fictional characters into) polycules or joke about the complexities of being in one.
In polyamorous communities online, it’s not uncommon to see diagrams explaining someone’s current polycule to others.
Tikva Wolf / Kimchi Cuddles
Note
This is not meant to be a formal definition of polycule like most terms we define on Dictionary.com, but is rather an informal word summary that hopefully touches upon the key aspects of the meaning and usage of polycule that will help our users expand their word mastery.