the built-in advantages an established couple carries into non-monogamy: shared home, finances, history, social recognition, and the quiet assumption their bond comes first. it isn't a villain, it's a dynamic to notice, because unexamined it can leave newer partners with less say and less security while everyone insists things are equal. naming it makes those uneven starting conditions easier to see and talk about.
want to talk about Couple Privilege with people who live it?
definition contributed by Tessakin