fornication

American  

[fawr-ni-key-shuhn] / ˌfɔr nɪˈkeɪ ʃən /

noun

1. voluntary sexual intercourse between two unmarried persons or two persons not married to each other.

2. Bible. idolatry.

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fornication British  

/ ˌfɔːnɪˈkeɪʃən /

noun

1. voluntary sexual intercourse outside marriage

2. law voluntary sexual intercourse between two persons of the opposite sex, where one is or both are unmarried

3. Bible sexual immorality in general, esp adultery

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Other Word Forms

• fornicatory adjective

Etymology

Origin of fornication

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English fornicacioun, from Late Latin fornicātiōn-, stem of fornicātiō; equivalent to fornicate ¹ + -ion

Compare meaning

How does fornication compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• adultery vs. fornication

Explanation

Fornication is a word for sex, especially sex that takes place outside of marriage. In some religions, fornication is considered a sin. This is not the kind of word friends use when sitting around talking about sex. This is an old-fashioned word that you can definitely spot in the Bible and other holy books, because it refers to sex that is considered wrong because it is not between a man and a wife. So in the original sense, fornication is a synonym for adultery. But people also humorously use fornication to mean any kind of sex at all.

Example Sentences

Khawar Maneka - a civil servant and son of a well-known politician - filed a complaint alleging "fraudulent marriage and fornication" in November, according to Pakistan's Dawn newspaper.

From BBC • Jan. 31, 2024

Also in May, Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, a Democrat, signed a public safety bill repealing the state’s sodomy ban as well as bans on adultery and fornication.

From New York Times • Jul. 21, 2023

So that means that right now at least seven states are suddenly amending or repealing their adultery and fornication statutes, most for the first time since they were enacted.

From Salon • May 6, 2019

According to a probable-cause affidavit from the 1800s, a man in those days could be charged for fornication, and county insanity records state one individual was admitted for nervousness.

From Washington Times • Jan. 23, 2016

I never mentioned the previously familiar subjects of adultery and fornication, and I never mentioned immoral evils.

From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey