intimacy

American  

[in-tuh-muh-see] / ˈɪn tə mə si /

noun

• intimacies
  plural

1. the state of being intimate.

2. a close, familiar, and usually affectionate or loving personal relationship with another person or group.

   Synonyms:

   affection, warmth, familiarity, closeness

3. a close association with or detailed knowledge or deep understanding of a place, subject, period of history, etc..

   an intimacy with Japan.

4. an act or expression serving as a token of familiarity, affection, or the like.

   to allow the intimacy of using first names.

5. an amorously familiar act; liberty.

6. sexual intercourse.

7. the quality of being comfortable, warm, or familiar.

   the intimacy of the room.

8. privacy, especially as suitable to the telling of a secret.

   in the intimacy of his studio.

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intimacy British  

/ ˈɪntɪməsɪ /

noun

1. close or warm friendship or understanding; personal relationship

2. euphemistic (often plural) sexual relations

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• intimacies
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of intimacy

First recorded in 1635–45; intim(ate) ¹ + -acy

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Explanation

Intimacy is closeness with another person, like the intimacy that develops between friends as you tell one another your life stories and all your secrets and dreams for the future. The noun intimacy comes from the Latin word intimare, which means “impress,” or “make familiar,” which comes from the Latin intimus, meaning “inmost.” Intimacy is a close, family-like connection. There is another kind of intimacy — physical intimacy, which comes from having a sexual relationship, which, one hopes, fosters the other kind of intimacy as well.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

intimacy intimacies

Reclaim human intimacy: As A.I. makes inroads into all aspects of society, are chatbots damaging our capacity to maintain relationships with real people?

From Slate ● Sep. 30, 2026

“The Age of Cures” lacks some of the vivid intimacy of Mr. Werth’s earlier work, but occasionally a moment breaks through.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

Aerial reporters possess a peculiar intimacy with listeners, their voices and visuals filling cars and houses with their personalities as well as useful, even startling, real-time information.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026

Simon says that broken sleep, caused by a partner's snoring, can lead to irritability, arguments, and - if it is decided that sleeping in separate rooms is needed - reduced intimacy.

From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026

We take it slow, and out of all the ways I’ve lived today, maintaining eye contact with Rufus is really hard; it’s easily become the most intense intimacy ever I’ve ever experienced.

From "They Both Die at the End" by Adam Silvera

At moments, poignant domestic intimacies such as cooking and bathing threaten to break the detente and let in some emotion.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 7, 2026

The lines that had once been carved in laws and norms are obsolete in the eyes of an algorithm designed to lure you into the performative intimacies of strangers’ lives.

From Slate ● Sep. 10, 2025

In a mega two-hour, dual album, released in two parts as "The Tortured Poets Department" and "The Anthology," Swift pens 31 different heartbreaks, triumphs and intimacies — tortured poems if you will.

From Salon ● Apr. 19, 2024

They hold decades inside them, slowly unpeel into intimacies between characters.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 1, 2023

He sat down again, facing the front as if he and his girl were alone, talking intimacies.

From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez

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Related Words

• affection
• confidence
• confidentiality
• familiarity
• friendship
• understanding

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