What's the difference between infidelity and adultery?
Asked by: Miss Melissa Torp I | Last update: September 22, 2025Score: 4.6/5 (36 votes)
Infidelity, or cheating, is the act of being either emotionally or physically unfaithful to a spouse or partner, and breaking a commitment or promise during the act. Adultery is engaging in physical, sexual activity, and may be considered a criminal offense and grounds for divorce in certain places.
Are adultery and infidelity the same?
Infidelity is a broad term that encompasses emotional, financial, and physical betrayals and can occur in any committed relationship, whether or not the couple is married. Adultery, on the other hand, specifically refers to a married individual engaging in sexual relations outside the marriage.
What qualifies as infidelity?
What Is Cheating? Cheating, also known as infidelity, is when a person in a monogamous romantic relationship has an emotional or sexual relationship with someone else without their partner's consent. Infidelity, however, doesn't have a one-size-fits-all definition.
What does the Bible say about infidelity?
The Bible teaches that the blood Jesus' shed on the cross covers all sin, including infidelity. “… the blood of Jesus, God's Son, purifies us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). This means that any sin we commit, including infidelity, can be forgiven when we come to Jesus with a repentant heart.
What is the difference between adultery and infidelity in the Bible?
Infidelity is any kind of unfaithfulness to God or a person. Adultery is a form of infidelity, specifically a sexual act with someone other than your spouse.
Difference between Infidelity and Adultery
Does God want you to forgive infidelity?
The Scriptures are crystal clear on the question, “Should I forgive him?” The clear answer is that any sin of any size demands forgiveness. As Paul says in his letter to the Ephesians, “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (4:32).
Is adultery a sin if you're not married?
Thus, according to the Hebrew Bible, adultery is not committed if the female participant is unmarried (unless she is betrothed to be married), while the marital status of the male participant is irrelevant (he himself could be unmarried or married to another woman).
What is God's punishment for infidelity?
The basis for punishment of stoning specifically for adultery is clearly provided in Leviticus (20:10-12) which reads: "If a man commits adultery with another man's wife, even with the wife of his neighbour, both the adulterer and adulteress must be put to death...." Further, in Deuteronomy (22:22-24), it is stated ...
Is infidelity forgivable?
Forgiving infidelity takes time and perseverance, but it is possible to forgive and build a new life — either as a couple or as an individual — that you'll cherish. And you don't have to do it alone.
Does infidelity break the marriage covenant?
“So guard your heart; do not be unfaithful to your wife.” Infidelity breaks the covenant of marriage in the eyes of God.
Is there a difference between cheating and infidelity?
Infidelity, or cheating, is the act of being either emotionally or physically unfaithful to a spouse or partner, and breaking a commitment or promise during the act. Adultery is engaging in physical, sexual activity, and may be considered a criminal offense and grounds for divorce in certain places.
Is kissing considered adultery?
2. Adultery covers all types of sexual behaviour. Legally, adultery only covers sexual intercourse, which means behaviours such as kissing, webcam, virtual, and “emotional adultery” do not count for the purposes of getting divorced. This makes adultery very hard to prove if your spouse will not admit to it.
What are the sins of infidelity?
Infidelity, as a word, is not explicitly referenced in the Bible, yet it is clear that infidelity is synonymous with several sins referenced in the Bible. Sins like adultery, unfaithfulness, betrayal, and cheating are talked about in the Bible.
What is true infidelity?
Infidelity (synonyms include non-consensual non-monogamy, cheating, straying, adultery, being unfaithful, two-timing, or having an affair) is a violation of a couple's emotional or sexual exclusivity that commonly results in feelings of anger, sexual jealousy, and rivalry.
What is fornication?
noun. for·ni·ca·tion ˌfȯr-nə-ˈkā-shən. : consensual sexual intercourse between a man and especially single woman who are not married to each other. also : the crime of engaging in fornication compare adultery. Note: Where still considered a crime, fornication is classified as a misdemeanor.
What qualifies as adultery?
Adultery is a form of extramarital sexual intercourse between a married person and a person who is not a party to the marriage . In a fault divorce , adultery is one of the grounds for divorce .
Is once a cheater always a cheater true?
Myth 2: Once a cheater, always a cheater
Just because someone cheated in a past relationship does not mean they'll cheat on you, says Alsaleem. But you should make sure your partner worked on the issues that led them to cheating in the first place, says Alsaleem.
What is the atonement for infidelity?
During the Atonement phase, the betrayed partner is given the opportunity to verbalize their feelings and to ask questions about the affair. The cheating partner is encouraged to really listen and to hear their partner, answer questions honestly, and to express remorse.
Does infidelity ever stop hurting?
Does the pain of infidelity ever go away? Although cheating can have a lasting effect on your mental health, it's possible to heal after infidelity, says Babita Spinelli, a psychotherapist licensed in New York, New Jersey, and Florida. Spinelli offers couples coaching for partners recovering after infidelity.
Which is worse, fornication or adultery?
However, adulterous offenders were punished more severely than those who simply engaged in fornication. Adultery was considered a more serious sin because it betrayed the marriage vows and could produce illegitimate children (Brundage, "Sex and Canon Law," 42).
What does God want me to do if my husband cheated?
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” (Eph 4:31-32) To bring the wrong up again and again is unhelpful. When the hurt has been shared with the spouse, forgiveness has taken place, it is key to concentrate on the positive instead of the negative.
Is it a sin to love a married man?
God will NEVER send you someone else's husband.
He belongs to God, his wife, and his family. Period. Pursuing a married man in any way (whether it be flirting, crushing, daydreaming, or actively chasing him) is sin.
Does God honor a marriage after adultery?
But, the good news is that restoring a marriage after an affair is possible, with God's help. In fact, not only can your marriage survive an affair, but your marriage can become even stronger than it was before the crisis. “Nothing is impossible with God,” (Luke 1:37).
Is living with someone without marriage a sin?
The Church's teaching on cohabitation is not an “arbitrary” rule. Living together before marriage is a sin because it violates God's commandments and the law of the Church.
Is sexting adultery in the Bible?
“Adultery is adultery, even if its virtual” according to Pamiglia Cristiana (Christian Family), a magazine close to the Vatican. “It is just as sinful as the real thing.”