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Open relationship

An open relationship is one in which one or more parties have permission to be romantically or sexually involved with people outside the relationship, in contrast to a traditionally closed relationship in which both parties agree to be exclusive.[1]

Sources: grade B×4, grade C×6. Last checked 8 October 2026. What the grades mean

Open relationships include any type of romantic relationship, such as dating or marriage, that is open.[2] The main unifying element across the different styles is non-exclusivity of romantic or sexual relationships.[3] The concept has been recognised since the 1970s.[1]

An open marriage is one form, in which the participants in a marriage have an open relationship.[4] Swinging is another form, in which partners in a committed relationship engage in sexual activities with others at the same time.[5] Swingers may regard the practice as a recreational or social activity.[5]

Open relationship is sometimes used as a synonym for polyamory, but the terms are not synonymous.[4] The word "open" refers to the sexual aspect of a relationship, whereas polyamory refers to allowing bonds to form as additional long-term relationships.[4]

Jealousy is often present in monogamous relationships, and adding partners may increase it.[6] The logistics may be hard to manage, especially if partners live together, split finances or own property.[4] Even so, research has shown comparable relationship satisfaction for monogamous and non-monogamous couples.[7]

Sources

  1. Source grade CDoheny, Kathleen. "The Truth About Open Marriage" . Web MD . Retrieved 8 June 2013 . webmd.com (via Wikipedia: Open relationship)
  2. Source grade COur bodies, ourselves: a new edition for a new era . Simon and Schuster. 19 April 2005. pp. 165–. ISBN 978-0-7432-5611-7 . Retrieved 25 November 2011 . books.google.com (via Wikipedia: Open relationship)
  3. Source grade CGaal, Anna Gyulai (21 February 2019). "The many shades of open love" . EXBERLINER.com . Archived from the original on 6 December 2019 . Retrieved 4 July 2019 . web.archive.org (via Wikipedia: Open relationship)
  4. Source grade CTaormino, Tristan (1 May 2008). Opening up: a guide to creating and sustaining open relationships . Cleis Press . pp. 13–. ISBN 978-1-57344-295-4 . Retrieved 20 November 2011 . books.google.com (via Wikipedia: Open relationship)
  5. Source grade BBergstrand, Curtis; Blevins Williams, Jennifer (10 October 2000). "Today's Alternative Marriage Styles: The Case of Swingers" . Electronic Journal of Human Sexuality . 3 . Archived from the original on 29 September 2018 . Retrieved 24 January 2010 . web.archive.org; "Why Swing?" . Archived from the original on 4 November 2012 . Retrieved 4 October 2012 . web.archive.org (via Wikipedia: Open relationship)
  6. Source grade CLinssen, Leonie; Stephan Wik (1 August 2010). Love Unlimited: The Joys and Challenges of Open Relationships . Findhorn Press. pp. 11–. ISBN 978-1-84409-183-6 . Retrieved 20 November 2011 . books.google.com (via Wikipedia: Open relationship)
  7. Source grade BRubel, Alicia N.; Bogaert, Anthony F. (22 November 2015). "Consensual Nonmonogamy: Psychological Well-Being and Relationship Quality Correlates". The Journal of Sex Research . 52 (9): 961– 982. doi : 10.1080/00224499.2014.942722 . ISSN 0022-4499 . PMID 25189189 . S2CID 36510972 . doi.org; Blasband, D; Peplau, L.A. (1986). "Sexual exclusivity versus openness in gay male couples". Archives of Sexual Behavior . 14 (5): 395– 412. doi : 10.1007/BF01542001 . PMID 4062537 . S2CID 20680876 . doi.org (via Wikipedia: Open relationship)
  8. Source grade BBalzarini, R. (2017). "Perceptions of primary and secondary relationships in polyamory" . PLOS ONE . 12 (5) e0177841. Bibcode : 2017PLoSO..1277841B . doi : 10.1371/journal.pone.0177841 . PMC 5436896 . PMID 28542619 . ncbi.nlm.nih.gov (via Wikipedia: Open relationship)
  9. Source grade BWatson, Mary Ann (February 1981). "Sexually Open Marriage: Three Perspectives". Alternative Lifestyles . 4 (1): 3– 21. doi : 10.1007/BF01082086 . S2CID 146973141 . doi.org (via Wikipedia: Open relationship)
  10. Source grade C"What is an Open Relationship?" . Sexologi.net . Retrieved 10 June 2026 . sexologi.net (via Wikipedia: Open relationship)

Grades: A systematic review or official classification, B peer-reviewed study, C expert or community organisation, D practice from the community without research. How we grade sources.

Every claim was checked against its source before publication. Last checked 8 October 2026.