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

Another 17th century Puritan child was condemned to bear the name of Flie Fornication Andrewes.

From Time Magazine Archive

Go through Paul's long and dismal catalogue of "the works of the flesh": "Fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousies, wraths, factions, divisions, heresies, envyings, drunkenness, revellings, and such like."

From The Teaching of Jesus by Jackson, George