This study aimed to analyze laypeople’s definitions of polyamory and compare definitions presented by people who are not willing to engage in consensual non-monogamy (CNM) and those who are or are willing to be in a CNM relationship. This exploratory qualitative study used data collected from a convenience sample through a web survey, where people answered the question “What does polyamory mean?” We conducted thematic analysis to examine patterns in meaning and used demographic data to compare themes among groups. The final sample comprised 463 participants aged 18–66 years (M = 32.19, SD = 10.02), mostly heterosexual (60%). Of the total sample, 54% were in a monogamous relationship, followed by 21% not in a relationship, and 13% in a non-monogamous relationship. Analysis showed that people define polyamory mostly as a set of behaviors in a relationship, followed by the potential of multiple relationships or feelings for multiple people. Definitions also include emotional, sexual, and ethical aspects. People in CNM relationships are more likely to define polyamory as constituting a potential form of relating, focus more on interpersonal feelings and ethics, and include consent in their definitions than those unwilling to engage in CNM. People in CNM relationships also focus particularly on the non-central role of sex within these relationships, which might challenge assumptions about sexuality in these relationships in clinical and research settings.

本研究旨在分析外行人对多角恋的定义，并比较不愿意参与自愿非一夫一妻制 (CNM) 的人和那些愿意参与 CNM 关系的人提出的定义。这项探索性定性研究使用了通过网络调查从便利样本中收集的数据，人们回答了“多元之爱意味着什么？”的问题。我们进行了主题分析来检查含义模式，并使用人口统计数据来比较各组之间的主题。最终样本包括 463 名年龄在 18-66 岁之间的参与者（M = 32.19，SD = 10.02），其中大多数是异性恋（60%）。在总样本中，54% 的人处于一夫一妻制关系，其次是 21% 的人没有恋爱关系，13% 的人处于非一夫一妻制关系。分析表明，人们对多元之爱的定义大多是一种关系中的一系列行为，其次是多种关系的潜力或多人的感情。定义还包括情感、性和道德方面。与那些不愿参与 CNM 的人相比，处于 CNM 关系中的人们更有可能将多元之爱定义为一种潜在的关系形式，更关注人际情感和道德，并将同意纳入其定义中。 CNM 关系中的人们还特别关注性在这些关系中的非核心作用，这可能会挑战临床和研究环境中这些关系中性的假设。