polygyny

Etymology

From Ancient Greek πολύ (polú, “many”) + γυνή (gunḗ, “woman, wife”); synchronically, poly- + -gyny.

noun

1. The state or practice of having several wives at the same time; plurality of wives; marriage to several wives.
   We may infer that in most cases where polygyny exists, monogamy co-exists to a greater extent, and in all other cases to a considerable extent. 1883, Herbert Spencer, The Principles of Sociology, page 685
2. The condition of an ant colony that has multiple egg-laying queens.