What is a Partner?

Hey everyone, I've been pondering this topic and after an interesting conversation I want to examine how we define who is a partner.  I've used the term partner in the past to mean someone that I'm involved with. I guess you can say the concern and entanglement that comes along with it.

 My partners are people who I really care for on so many levels. They are people who I want to hear about what's going on with work, their friends and family and they're also people that I have sex and  intimacy with. They are the people who I've cried with, laughed with and shared myself with in very deep levels.    I don't call just anyone my partner and I don't get involved with people without thinking about their potential in my life.

I asked this question to members of my group of black non monogamous queers and received some very affirming yet different answers, Some of them included:

"I  typically use partner for people who i have long-term life entanglements with, and take them into account when making big decisions.

"I use partner for people I'm in a romantic relationship with"

"After negotiations. We have to physically sit down and agree and talk about anniversary expectations."

I've also called my favorite people my Boos and my Baes.  On a personal note their really wasn't a full on conversation as to WHEN we would start calling ourselves partners. It was more after several months of interactions both in person and on the phone.  But I constantly come back to the monogamist idea of needing those titles as a way to distinguish from just a friend or a close friend.   How do you define partners?