Adulterering

Adulterering is most commonly used to describe the act of engaging in sexual relations outside one's marriage or committed partnership, i.e., adultery. In standard usage, the present participle of adulterate—adulterating—refers to contaminating or diluting a substance, not to sexual infidelity. Therefore, “adulterating” is the typical term for adulteration, while “adultery” or “an adulterer/adulteress” describe the act or the person involved in extramarital affairs. The form “adulterering” is uncommon and not widely recognized as standard for either sense.

Historical and religious contexts have significantly shaped attitudes toward adulterery. Many religious traditions condemn adultery as morally wrong and stigmatize those involved. In numerous societies, social norms around fidelity have informed legal and family practices, including divorce and inheritance rules. In some periods and places, adulterous acts carried legal penalties or moral sanctions; in others, they are treated as personal or private matters.

Legal status varies by jurisdiction. In modern many Western legal systems, adultery is not a criminal offense, though it can influence civil matters such as fault-based divorce, alimony, or child custody in some cases. In other countries, particularly where there are religious or customary laws, adultery may still carry legal penalties or formal consequences. The relevance of adulterery in law tends to reflect broader distinctions between criminal law and family or personal status law.

See also: Adultery, Infidelity, Adulteration, Divorce law.