harem
n. countablen. a group of women who live together in a private part of a house, especially in some historical Muslim cultures. In modern slang, it describes a situation where one person is surrounded by many romantic partners or admirers.
n. the separate part of a Muslim household reserved for wives, concubines, and female servants; by extension, the women inhabiting such a space. In contemporary informal contexts, refers to a group of people, usually women, associated with or perceived as belonging to one man.
The king lived in a palace with a large harem.
Historical accounts of the Ottoman Empire often focus on the complex social hierarchy within the imperial harem.
The trope of the accidental harem is a staple of modern animation, where a socially awkward protagonist finds themselves the object of affection for multiple characters simultaneously.
Borrowed from Ottoman Turkish حرم (harem) Turkish harem, from Arabic حَرَم (ḥaram, “something prohibited; sanctuary, women”); and later also from حَرِيم (ḥarīm) with same meaning, both from حَرُمَ (ḥaruma, “be forbidden or unlawful”). Doublet of haram and herem.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Often used figuratively in modern media to describe a specific genre of storytelling involving multiple romantic interests.
Last updated May 8, 2026