Relationship labels can be useful, but they are not rules. They give people shorthand for talking about commitment, exclusivity, sex, romance, living arrangements, and expectations. The catch is that the same label can mean different things to different people—and many relationship styles overlap.
There is no single official list of relationship types. The 18 labels below are common ways people describe modern dating and partnership arrangements. Think of them as conversation starters rather than boxes you have to fit into.
If you take only one idea from this guide, make it this: a healthy relationship is defined less by its label than by clear consent, compatible expectations, honest communication, and respect for boundaries.
Why relationship labels matter
A label can answer practical questions quickly: Are we exclusive? Are we dating other people? Is this romantic, sexual, both, or neither? Are we building toward a shared future? But a label cannot replace the conversation itself.
Two people can both say they are “exclusive” and still disagree about flirting, dating apps, pornography, emotional intimacy with other people, or what counts as cheating. Likewise, two people in an open relationship may have completely different agreements about disclosure, safer sex, sleepovers, or romantic connections.
That is why it helps to treat every label as the beginning of a discussion—not the end of one.
18 types of modern relationships
1. Monogamous relationship
A monogamous relationship generally means two partners agree to romantic and sexual exclusivity with each other. The important word is agree: monogamy works best when both people have the same understanding of what exclusivity includes.
Some couples consider flirting harmless while others see it as crossing a line. Some are comfortable with close friendships with ex-partners; others want more distance. Rather than assuming “monogamous” answers every question, define the boundaries that matter to both of you.
Talk about: What does exclusivity mean to us in practice, both online and offline?
2. Exclusive dating
Exclusive dating usually describes a stage in which two people have agreed not to date or have sex with other people, but may not yet use labels such as boyfriend, girlfriend, partner, or long-term relationship.
This stage can feel simple when both people want the same pace. Confusion appears when one person views exclusivity as a temporary step toward commitment while the other sees it as the final arrangement. It helps to clarify what exclusivity changes—and what it does not.
Talk about: Are we only stopping other dates, or are we also agreeing on a shared relationship direction?
3. Casual dating
Casual dating means spending time with one or more people without necessarily committing to exclusivity or a long-term future. It can include romance, sex, companionship, or simply getting to know each other.
“Casual” should not mean careless. People still deserve clarity about intentions, safer-sex practices, emotional expectations, and whether other partners are involved. The arrangement tends to work better when nobody has to guess what the other person means.
Talk about: Are we seeing other people, and what level of communication do we expect between dates?
4. Situationship
A situationship is a connection that has some features of dating or a relationship but lacks a clearly agreed label, level of commitment, or future direction. It may feel close and emotionally significant even when neither person has defined what the relationship is.
Situationships are not automatically unhealthy. They become difficult when ambiguity is serving one person but hurting the other. If uncertainty is creating stress, the useful question is not “What are we supposed to call this?” but “Are our expectations actually compatible?”
Talk about: What are we doing now, what do we each want next, and how would we know if those goals stop matching?
5. Friends with benefits (FWB)
Friends with benefits generally describes friends who also have consensual sexual contact without necessarily entering a romantic partnership. The friendship may remain central, or the sexual connection may become the main reason the two people meet.
FWB arrangements benefit from the same communication as any other intimate relationship: what happens if feelings change, whether other partners are allowed, how disclosure works, and what safer-sex practices everyone is using.
Talk about: If one of us develops romantic feelings or starts dating someone else, how do we want to handle it?
6. Casual sexual relationship
A casual sexual relationship centers primarily on consensual sexual connection rather than romantic commitment. It can be a one-time hookup, an occasional connection, or a recurring arrangement between people who do not consider themselves a couple.
Because there may be less shared history, explicit communication can be especially useful. Consent should be specific and ongoing, and nobody should assume that agreeing to one activity means agreeing to another. Our guide to casual sex, consent, boundaries, and safer hookups covers the practical side in more depth.
Talk about: What do we both want tonight, what is off-limits, and what safer-sex information should we share first?
7. Long-distance relationship (LDR)
A long-distance relationship is a romantic or committed relationship in which partners live far enough apart that they cannot see each other regularly in person. Some LDRs begin at a distance; others become long-distance because of work, school, family, immigration, or travel.
The main challenge is often not distance itself but mismatched expectations around communication, visits, sexual exclusivity, digital intimacy, and future plans. A relationship can feel secure with fewer messages if both people agree on the rhythm.
Talk about: How often do we want contact and visits, and is there a realistic plan for the distance to change?
8. Living Apart Together (LAT)
Living Apart Together describes a committed romantic relationship in which partners intentionally maintain separate homes. The arrangement may be temporary or long-term, and it can suit people who value autonomy, have children, work in different places, or simply prefer separate living spaces.
LAT is different from “not serious.” Commitment and cohabitation are separate decisions. Partners still need to discuss money, caregiving, time together, emergencies, and how much daily life they want to share.
Talk about: What does commitment look like for us when we do not share a home?
9. Cohabiting partnership
A cohabiting partnership is a relationship in which partners share a home, whether or not they are married or legally partnered. Living together adds practical layers to intimacy: rent, chores, privacy, sleep, guests, finances, and personal space can affect relationship satisfaction as much as romance does.
A shared address does not automatically mean shared expectations. Couples benefit from discussing household responsibilities and boundaries directly rather than relying on assumptions about who “should” do what.
Talk about: How will we divide money, chores, private time, and shared responsibilities?
10. Committed partnership
A committed partnership describes people who consider each other significant long-term partners without relying on a particular legal status or relationship structure. It may be monogamous or non-monogamous, married or unmarried, cohabiting or living apart.
The useful feature of this label is its focus on intention: the partners have chosen an ongoing relationship and usually make decisions with each other in mind. The details still need to be defined by the people involved.
Talk about: What commitments are we making—to time, care, finances, family, exclusivity, or future planning?
11. Open relationship
An open relationship usually means partners maintain a primary romantic relationship while mutually agreeing that sexual or romantic contact with other people is allowed under defined conditions. Those conditions vary widely.
Some couples allow outside sexual experiences but not romantic dating. Others allow both. Some want detailed disclosure; others prefer limited information. The defining feature is not a specific rule set—it is that the people involved knowingly agree to the arrangement.
Talk about: What kinds of outside connections are allowed, what information must be shared, and when do we revisit the agreement?
12. Consensual or ethical non-monogamy (CNM/ENM)
Consensual non-monogamy (CNM), often discussed as ethical non-monogamy (ENM), is an umbrella term for relationships in which everyone involved knows about and consents to the possibility of romantic, intimate, and/or sexual relationships with more than one person. Open relationships, polyamory, and swinging can all fall under this broader umbrella.
Consent distinguishes CNM from infidelity. The American Psychological Association notes that these categories are broad and not mutually exclusive, so real relationships may not fit neatly into one sub-label.
Talk about: What exactly has each person consented to, and what would count as breaking the agreement?
13. Polyamorous relationship
Polyamory refers to having, or being open to having, multiple consensual romantic and/or intimate relationships. Some polyamorous people have a nesting or anchor partner; others avoid ranking partners. Some relationships are interconnected, while others remain mostly separate.
Polyamory is not one standardized structure. Time management, emotional expectations, safer-sex agreements, disclosure, privacy, and changes in relationship intensity all require communication.
Talk about: How do we handle time, new partners, changing feelings, privacy, and decisions that affect more than two people?
14. Solo polyamory
Solo polyamory usually describes people who practice polyamory while maintaining a high degree of personal autonomy rather than organizing life around a primary couple unit. A solo-poly person may have deeply committed partners while choosing not to merge housing, finances, or major life decisions in conventional ways.
The word “solo” does not mean isolated or uncommitted. It usually signals that independence is an important part of how the person structures relationships.
Talk about: Which parts of our lives do we want to share, and which forms of independence do we each want to protect?
15. Swinging
Swinging generally refers to couples who mutually engage in sexual experiences with other people or couples, often while keeping romantic exclusivity within the original partnership. It is another form that can fall under consensual non-monogamy.
Agreements can cover where encounters happen, whether partners participate together or separately, what sexual activities are acceptable, privacy, safer-sex practices, and whether repeat connections are welcome.
Talk about: What feels exciting, what feels outside our agreement, and what is our plan if either person wants to stop?
16. Relationship anarchy
Relationship anarchy is an approach that questions the idea that romantic partnerships must automatically be prioritized above friendships or other meaningful bonds. People using this framework often prefer to negotiate each relationship individually rather than follow a preset hierarchy.
It does not mean “no rules.” In practice, it can require very deliberate communication because expectations are built intentionally rather than borrowed from conventional relationship scripts.
Talk about: Which commitments are we choosing because they fit us, rather than because a particular relationship label is supposed to include them?
17. Queerplatonic relationship (QPR)
A queerplatonic relationship is a committed relationship that is not defined primarily by conventional romance, even though it may involve a level of closeness, partnership, or life planning that goes beyond what society typically expects from friendship. The term is especially visible in aromantic and asexual communities, but people define their own relationships.
A QPR may include cohabitation, shared finances, affection, caregiving, or other forms of commitment. Sexual or romantic elements are not assumed either way.
Talk about: What kinds of closeness and commitment matter to us, and which traditional romantic expectations do not fit?
18. On-again, off-again relationship
An on-again, off-again relationship is one in which partners repeatedly break up and reunite. Sometimes the time apart helps people reassess what they want. In other cases, the same unresolved conflict returns each time the relationship restarts.
The label itself does not tell you whether the relationship can work. The useful question is whether something concrete has changed between cycles—communication, compatibility, circumstances, boundaries, or willingness to address the original problem.
Talk about: What is materially different this time, and what would need to change for the relationship to feel sustainable?
Relationship labels can overlap
Many of these categories describe different dimensions of a relationship rather than competing boxes. Someone can be in a long-distance monogamous relationship. A polyamorous person can also practice Living Apart Together. A committed partnership can be cohabiting, long-distance, monogamous, or part of a consensually non-monogamous network.
That overlap is normal. The goal is not to find the “perfect” label. The goal is to make expectations visible enough that everyone can make informed choices.
Consent, boundaries, and sexual health apply to every relationship type
Whether a relationship is casual, exclusive, monogamous, polyamorous, or unlabeled, consent remains specific and ongoing. Consent to a relationship structure is not automatic consent to any particular sexual activity. People can change their minds, pause, or renegotiate boundaries.
Before sexual contact, useful conversations can include barrier methods, contraception where relevant, recent STI testing, current partners, symptoms, and any agreement that could affect another partner's health. The CDC notes that what STI tests a person needs—and how often—depends on factors such as age, sexual history, current sexual practices, symptoms, and other circumstances. A healthcare professional can help determine the appropriate testing plan.
If comfort and reduced friction are part of your safer-sex routine, our beginner's guide to personal lubricants for sensitive skin explains common formulation considerations. You can also browse intimate lube and care options available in our store.
How to define your relationship without forcing a label
If you are unsure which label fits, skip the vocabulary for a moment and answer the practical questions instead:
- Are we romantically exclusive?
- Are we sexually exclusive?
- Are we dating or connecting with other people?
- What do we expect to disclose, and when?
- What are our safer-sex and STI-testing agreements?
- What level of time, emotional support, and future planning are we committing to?
- What would count as breaking trust in this relationship?
- When will we check in again if our feelings or circumstances change?
Once those answers are clear, the label usually becomes much less important. If you are exploring intimacy together, you can also browse our sex toys for couples collection—but products should support communication, not replace it.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between dating and being in a relationship?
Dating describes the process of seeing someone romantically, while “being in a relationship” usually implies a more clearly defined mutual commitment. Neither term automatically guarantees exclusivity. The only reliable way to know is to ask what each person means by the label.
What is a situationship?
A situationship is a romantic, sexual, or emotionally close connection that has not been clearly defined in terms of commitment, exclusivity, or future direction. It is not automatically good or bad; the key issue is whether the level of ambiguity works for everyone involved.
Is friends with benefits a relationship?
It is a type of interpersonal relationship, but it is usually not defined as a conventional romantic partnership. Friends with benefits can still involve trust, boundaries, sexual-health decisions, and emotional consequences, so clear communication matters.
Is ENM the same as an open relationship?
Not exactly. Ethical or consensual non-monogamy is a broad umbrella. An open relationship is one possible form within that umbrella, alongside arrangements such as polyamory and swinging. People use the terms differently, so individual agreements matter more than the label alone.
Can one relationship fit more than one type?
Yes. These labels often describe different dimensions of a relationship. For example, a couple could be monogamous and long-distance, or polyamorous and Living Apart Together. The categories are not mutually exclusive.
How often should partners get STI testing?
There is no single schedule that fits everyone. Testing recommendations depend on factors including age, sexual history, current sexual practices, symptoms, pregnancy status, and the types of sexual contact involved. The CDC publishes general recommendations, and a healthcare provider can help determine which tests and frequency are appropriate for you.
The bottom line
Modern relationships are diverse because people are diverse. The most useful relationship structure is not the one that sounds most conventional—or most adventurous—but the one everyone involved understands and genuinely agrees to.
Use labels when they make communication easier. Drop or revise them when they create more confusion than clarity. Whatever you call the relationship, keep returning to the same fundamentals: consent, honesty, boundaries, sexual health, and the freedom to renegotiate as people change.
Sources and further reading
- Planned Parenthood: Sexual Consent
- CDC: Getting Tested for STIs
- American Psychological Association: Consensual Non-Monogamy Fact Sheet
Editorial note: This article is for general educational purposes and does not replace individualized medical, sexual-health, or relationship counseling.
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