sexual assault
Americannoun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of sexual assault
First recorded in 1880–85
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
How are supporters and voters reacting to the sexual assault allegations that have brought an end to Graham Platner’s Senate campaign?
From Slate ● Jul. 9, 2026
Gomez was friends with former California Rep. Eric Swalwell, who earlier this year resigned from Congress and suspended his California gubernatorial campaign after multiple women accused him of sexual assault.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 2, 2026
Vaughan put it to her: "This has nothing to do with you and sexual assault."
From BBC ● May 29, 2026
That changed after then-Northern California Rep. Eric Swalwell, who had been the front-running Democrat in the race, withdrew from the campaign and resigned from Congress after he was accused of sexual assault and misconduct.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 19, 2026
The measure would replace the current system of adjudicating sexual assault by taking the cases outside a victim’s chain of command.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
