intimacy

American  

[in-tuh-muh-see] / ˈɪn tə mə si /

noun

plural

intimacies

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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Etymology

Origin of intimacy

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

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

Intimacy plus oxytocin outperformed intimacy and placebo, suggesting that oxytocin amplifies the effect of physical affection on healing.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 4, 2025

Intimacy and love can be performed, but that doesn’t always mean they’re authentic.

From Salon • Nov. 23, 2025

The south Armagh woman painted Laura in 2022 as part of her Intimacy collection.

From BBC • Oct. 18, 2024

Intimacy demands that you share parts of yourself that you’re ashamed of.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 28, 2023

But there would also be times when I sensed the deepest truth about language and intimacy: Intimacy is not created by a particular language; it is created by intimates.

From "Hunger of Memory" by Richard Rodriguez

Related Words

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