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- Affair Fog
- A state of cognitive dissonance where an unfaithful partner is infatuated with their affair partner, often rewriting the history of their primary relationship to justify their actions. It is characterized by euphoria and a detachment from reality.
- Compersion
- The feeling of joy one has when their partner experiences joy with another person; often described as the opposite of jealousy. Central to successful polyamorous dynamics.
- DARVO
- Acronym for 'Deny, Attack, and Reverse Victim and Offender'. A manipulation strategy often used by perpetrators of wrongdoing to deflect blame onto the victim.
- Ethical Non-Monogamy (ENM)
- An umbrella term for relationship structures where all partners consent to sexual or romantic connections with others. Also referred to as Consensual Non-Monogamy (CNM).
- Gaslighting
- A form of psychological manipulation where a person seeks to sow seeds of doubt in a targeted individual, making them question their own memory, perception, or sanity.
- Kitchen Table Polyamory
- A dynamic where all members of a polycule (partners and metamours) are comfortable spending time together as a group, metaphorically sitting around a kitchen table.
- Limerence
- An involuntary state of mind resulting from a romantic attraction to another person combined with an overwhelming, obsessive need to have one's feelings reciprocated.
- Love Bombing
- The practice of overwhelming someone with signs of adoration and attraction as a manipulative tool to gain control or trust, often seen in the early stages of abusive relationships.
- Metamour
- In polyamory, a partner's other partner. For example, your wife's boyfriend is your metamour. The relationship between metamours can range from friends to strangers.
- New Relationship Energy (NRE)
- The intense excitement, lust, and infatuation experienced at the beginning of a new romantic relationship. Can last from months to years and often clouds judgment.
- Parallel Polyamory
- A dynamic where partners run on parallel tracks and have little to no interaction with each other's other partners. The hinge partner manages the separate relationships.
- Relationship Anarchy
- A philosophy that rejects the hierarchy of relationships (e.g., romance > friendship) and advocates for customizing every connection based on the individuals involved rather than societal norms.
- Trauma Bonding
- A strong emotional attachment between an abused person and their abuser, formed as a result of the cycle of violence and intermittent reinforcement.
- Triad
- A polyamorous relationship structure involving three people who are all romantically involved with one another. Also known as a throuple.
- Trickle Truth
- The act of revealing damaging information (like details of an affair) little by little over time, preventing the betrayed partner from processing the full reality and extending the trauma.
- Unicorn Hunting
- The act of a couple seeking a third partner (usually a bisexual woman) to join their relationship, often with restrictive rules and an expectation of equal attraction to both members of the couple.
- Vee
- A relationship structure involving three people where one person (the hinge) is dating two people who are not dating each other.
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