Relationship structures
Polycule
A community term for a network of connected non-monogamous relationships, whose members may not all date one another.
Other names and related terms: Relationship network
Understanding the topic
The network can include partners and metamours and may have many different shapes. It is not necessarily a single group relationship, household, or shared agreement. A diagram can describe connections but says little about closeness, priorities, or permissions.
A relationship label provides a starting point for discussing commitments, not a complete agreement. People may differ about exclusivity, time, emotional involvement, privacy, and future plans. Kink preferences and relationship structures are separate: being dominant, submissive, or a switch does not establish which relationship structure someone wants.
Consent and communication
Ask before identifying someone as part of a network publicly. Each person chooses their own contact and participation.
Make agreements with the people directly affected and avoid promising someone else’s participation. Each person retains the ability to decline a relationship or renegotiate their own commitments. Honesty does not require distributing other partners’ private details without permission.
A practical example
Someone sketches their connections privately while explaining that not everyone meets socially or shares personal information.
Common misunderstandings
Membership in a network does not consent to group dating, shared decision-making, or disclosure.
Safety and risk awareness
Protect identifying information and avoid presenting another person's relationship as community property.
Questions to consider
Which connections are private, and who can describe them?
Related topics
This content was developed with AI assistance and is provided for general information only. It is not a practical guide or a substitute for qualified instruction.