You may have heard the term situationship recently. Maybe you’re in one. Maybe you’ve been in one and didn’t even know it. Maybe you heard someone mention the word and have no clue what it means.
The word can be hard to define. Situationships are, by nature, hard to define relationships — and they’re defined by that lack of definition, says Jessica Maxwell.
“There are aspects of romantic relationship intimacy, as well as a lot of passion, but what’s lacking is the commitment and the clear label,” Maxwell, an assistant professor at McMaster University who researches interpersonal relationships and sexuality, told Just Asking host Saroja Coelho.
“That seems to be kind of, I’d say, the agreed-upon definition of the situationship.”
Some relationship experts say situationships may not be a totally new concept, but they’ve entered the zeitgeist, and can be challenging to navigate.
“So many of us have been there, we know someone who’s been …