Parallel polyamory describes a relationship style in which a person maintains multiple romantic relationships that exist largely independently of each other. Partners and metamours may know of each other's existence but do not typically socialize together or integrate their lives. Each relationship operates in its own lane, with relatively little overlap between them.
Parallel polyamory is sometimes described as if it were a less evolved or less authentic version of kitchen table polyamory, which is an unfair comparison. For many people, parallel structures reflect a genuine and thoughtful preference rather than avoidance or a failure of integration. There are real reasons someone might prefer to keep their relationships relatively separate: different social worlds that do not naturally overlap, a preference for privacy, a sense that integration creates complexity they do not need or want, or simply the recognition that not every combination of people will flourish together just because they share a hinge.
The key word in parallel polyamory is consent: everyone in the configuration knows of the others' existence. The separation is chosen and explicit, not a product of secrecy. This is what distinguishes parallel polyamory from DADT arrangements, where the explicit knowledge piece is absent.
Parallel polyamory can function smoothly when all partners understand and have agreed to it. It tends to create friction when one partner expects more integration than the structure allows, or when events bring different parts of a person's life into unexpected contact. The situations where parallel structures break down are usually situations where the parallel was never fully negotiated rather than situations where the structure itself is wrong.
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definition contributed by Tessakin