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Topic: Is it adultery if you are not married, but cheat on someone else?

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1

harrington100

Is it adultery if you are not married, but cheat on someone else?  

2

kkays

Technically the definition is only addressed toward those who are married, though the definition varies based on the relationship.

3

In a strictly legal and technical sense, most state and federal laws agree that the term adultery is reserved for those involved in a married relationship. The dictionary defines adultery as sexual intercourse with someone besides one's spouse, meaning that one has to be married in order for actual adultery to occur.

Cheating within a relationship that is not marriage, say, boyfriend-girlfriend type relationships, can be considered infidelity, but not adultery.

4

"Infidelity" is probably the term you're looking for, but any sexual intercourse between unmarried parties is termed "Fornication."

5

No, adultery is a legal term used by the judicial system to define a particular action to determine if there was a 'breach of contract'. Adultery is a crime that can only be committed among married couples. Marriage by law is a civil contract between two people. If one part of the married couple is accused and found guilty of adultery, it gives the other legal grounds for a divorce. On the other hand cheating on someone in which there is no legal contract resides in the realm of moral character, and has many different and 'colorful' definitions.

6

If the person you're cheating with is married, then, yes, it is adultery, whether you are married or not.

7

In reply to #5:

To be clear, every state in the union with the exception of New York has "no-fault" divorce on the books, meaning divorce will be granted without any showing of fault, adultery or otherwise.

Adultery laws are rarely if ever enforced in the United States, and there are questions about the constitutionality of adultery laws, mainly centered around whether they infringe the right to privacy that the court has discussed in various Supreme Court decisions, such as the seminal Lawrence v. Texas.

8

cburr

Just to expand the concept of "law," adultery has significance as a biblical matter as well.  Under traditional Jewish law, if a married man has sex with a married woman, it is adultery.  If a married woman has sex with any other man, it is adultery.

9

In reply to #7: I just read over my post, and although I do try to remember to state that I am from New York and can only advise from that perspective when responding to 'Law Group' questions. I am from New York and do apoligize for any misinterpretation of my post due to the fact that I neglected to state where I was from.

10

It really only applies with marriage, but you have to look at your own values.  I think if you are in a long term relationship and you cheat that is a sin, and therefore adultry.

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