Polycule - meaning and definition
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Definition
The network of people connected through polyamorous relationships, including partners and partners' partners.
At a glance
- The network of people linked through polyamorous relationships.
- It includes partners and partners' partners.
- Not everyone in a polycule is romantically involved with everyone else.
- Some polycules are close-knit, others are loosely connected.
In detail
The word combines "poly" with "molecule", because a map of who is dating whom often looks like a chemistry diagram. A polycule might be a simple V shape, where one person has two partners, or a large web of overlapping connections.
Members of a polycule do not all have to be romantically involved with each other. Some polycules are close-knit and socialise together, while others are loosely connected and rarely meet.
In a sentence
- Our polycule is having a picnic on Saturday, and you're welcome to come.
- I drew our polycule on a napkin and it really did look like a molecule.
Where the word comes from
A blend of poly (from polyamory) and molecule, because diagrams of who dates whom resemble chemistry drawings. It spread through polyamorous communities online in the 2000s and 2010s.
Common questions
Does everyone in a polycule date each other?
No. A polycule simply maps the connections. Two people in it may be close friends, distant acquaintances or have never met.