[ad. late L. trigamia, a. Gr. (eccl.) τριγαμία, f. τρίγαμος: see prec. So F. trigamie (Littré).]
1. Eccl. Law. Marriage for the third time after the death of former wives or husbands. ? Obs.
1615. G. Sandys, Trav., 82. For them [priests] it is lawfull to marry: but bigamy is forbidden them, and trigamy detested in the Laity.
1727–41. Chambers, Cycl., Trigamy, a third marriage; or the state of a person who has been married three times…. In the ancient church, trigamy was only allowed to such as had no children by their former marriages.
2. The state of having three wives or husbands at the same time; the crime of contracting a third marriage while two previous spouses are alive.
a. 1634. Coke, On Litt., III. xxvii. (1648), 88. The difference between Bygamy, or Trigamy, &c. and Polygamy.
1706. Phillips (ed. Kersey), Trigamy, (Gr.) the having three Husbands or three Wives at once.
1819. Caledonian Mercury, 2 Aug., 2/2. It was generally supposed, that a third claimant … would have transposed the accusing word [bigamy] to that of trigamy.
1884. Chr. World, 16 Oct., 795/5. A woman 30 years of age was charged with trigamy, all three husbands being still alive.
