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voluntary sexual intercourse between a married person and someone other than his or her lawful spouse.
Contemporary Examples

This includes alcohol consumption, adultery, and drug-trafficking.
A Busy Iranian Regime: Torturing and Executing Prisoners, and Persecuting Women, Gays and Religious Minorities Ilana Glazer February 28, 2013

Iran has not yet executed Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, the mother of two sentenced to death by stoning for adultery.
Stoning Sentence Stopped The Daily Beast September 1, 2010

The tabloid stories that her adultery with Neal Schon now makes her ineligible for any of the Salahi money seem laughable.
Michaele and Tareq Salahi’s Hellish Divorce Diane Dimond January 4, 2012

For ayatollahs, looking could be adultery by means of the eyes.
Nude Photo of Iranian Actress Golshifteh Farahani Roils Iran Omid Memarian January 19, 2012

The opera is a dark and passionate tale of adultery and greed.
When Stalin Met Lady Macbeth Brian Moynahan November 8, 2014

Historical Examples

Twice you were taken in adultery, and, as a foreigner, I spared you.
At the Court of the Amr John Alfred Gray

Like the women in the sack of Ismail, they sit them down and watch for the adultery to begin.
‘Charge It’ Irving Bacheller

My father, my family, my husband, were willing to condone what they believed was my adultery.
Theft Jack London

Fines for adultery and fornication belong to the king, not to the bishop.
The Swedish Revolution Under Gustavus Vasa Paul Barron Watson

But no woman who has been convicted of adultery is entitled to the benefit of the act.
A Short History of Women’s Rights Eugene A. Hecker

noun (pl) -teries
voluntary sexual intercourse between a married man or woman and a partner other than the legal spouse
n.

“voluntary violation of the marriage bed,” c.1300, avoutrie, from Old French avouterie (12c.), noun of condition from avoutre, from Latin adulterare “to corrupt” (see adulteration). Modern spelling, with the re-inserted -d-, is from early 15c. (see ad-).

In Middle English, also “sex between husband and wife for recreational purposes; idolatry, perversion, heresy.” Classified as single adultery (with an unmarried person) and double adultery (with a married person). Old English word was æwbryce “breach of law(ful marriage)” (cf. German Ehebruch). Adultery Dune in Arizona corresponds to Navajo sei adilehe “adultery sand,” where illicit lovers met privately.

conjugal infidelity. An adulterer was a man who had illicit intercourse with a married or a betrothed woman, and such a woman was an adulteress. Intercourse between a married man and an unmarried woman was fornication. Adultery was regarded as a great social wrong, as well as a great sin. The Mosaic law (Num. 5:11-31) prescribed that the suspected wife should be tried by the ordeal of the “water of jealousy.” There is, however, no recorded instance of the application of this law. In subsequent times the Rabbis made various regulations with the view of discovering the guilty party, and of bringing about a divorce. It has been inferred from John 8:1-11 that this sin became very common during the age preceding the destruction of Jerusalem. Idolatry, covetousness, and apostasy are spoken of as adultery spiritually (Jer. 3:6, 8, 9; Ezek. 16:32; Hos. 1:2:3; Rev. 2:22). An apostate church is an adulteress (Isa. 1:21; Ezek. 23:4, 7, 37), and the Jews are styled “an adulterous generation” (Matt. 12:39). (Comp. Rev. 12.)