Polyamory Basics
Demystifying the Types of Polyamorous Relationships
Learning the lingo of multiple partners
Communication is one of the base tenets of healthy polyamorous relationships. Having clear communication begins before you even develop a connection with discussion of what it even means to be polyamorous.
Polyamory in general falls under the wider umbrella of ethical non-monogamy. In practice, polyamory is an umbrella of its own, encompassing many relationship styles. Understanding the relationship configurations you might encounter is a great first step to deciding what types of relationships you might want to participate in.
Hierarchical Poly or “One Primary Plus”
In this style of polyamory, there is a central relationship referred to as the person’s primary relationship. This often comes with things like cohabitation, marriage, shared finances, children, and possibly owning a property or business together.
Other partners outside of this central relationship are viewed as non-primary, secondary, or tertiary partners. Partners are not equal to each other in terms of power within the relationship and things like interconnection and relationship intensity. Some resist the idea of primary hierarchy, but…
