How many people are in an open relationship?

I don't know how many people are really in an open relationship and how many are lying to try to get away with cheating. I have heard guys say that their wives know that they have relationships with other women and are fine with it, and then I have seen the same guys try to talk their way out of trouble when the wife finds out what they have been doing and saying. I'm sure that there are couples that truly have that kind of arrangement, but I don't think it is as common as it might seem.

as many as you like. when it comes to open relationship it just means that you can sleep with any one, but your in a relationship with one person. so in some ways it a good thing but most of the time these kind of relationships really don't last that long, because on person ends up getting jealous of something along those lines.

I've always been curious about this, too. I believe an open relationship means they can date other people, too? So doesn't that just mean that, in reality, they're just friends with benefits? I've never really understood the concept of actually having a relationship if you're still able to date other people. To me, if you're in a relationship it's because you're devoted to that one person. If you're not, then why say you're in a relationship? My sister has had this sort of relationship before. Then again, she's also had quite a few friends with benefits, too, and I never really understood either, to be honest. But I've got a very different way of looking at things than my sister.

Maybe they want the benefits of marriage but they are tired of their partner and want someone new to enjoy sexually. I think an open marriage is completely different from the couple that has a threesome every now and then as both partners are always involved with each other, and open marriage just sounds like it's ending but the two people don't want to admit it.