noun
A formal or literary term for a woman who commits adultery. In modern Japanese, it is rarely used in everyday conversation; more common alternatives include 不倫相手 or 浮気相手.
古典文学では、姦婦はしばしば厳しく罰せられる。
In classical literature, an adulteress is often severely punished.
Composed of 姦 (adultery, wickedness) and 婦 (woman, wife). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the spelling is conventionally associated with the meaning of an adulterous woman.