flirtation

[flur-tey-shuhn]

noun

1. the act or practice of flirting; coquetry.

2. a love affair that is not serious.

flirtation

/ flɜːˈteɪʃən /

noun

1. behaviour intended to arouse sexual feelings or advances without emotional commitment; coquetry

2. any casual involvement without commitment

   a flirtation with journalism

Other Word Forms

• flirtational adjective
• flirtationless adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of flirtation¹

First recorded in 1710–20; flirt + -ation

Example Sentences

Jefferson carried on the flirtation following his emotional entanglement with Maria Cosway, a married artist and close friend of Angelica’s in London.

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Clearly, Mr. Carlson’s flirtation with Mr. Fuentes threatens to make the symptom contagious.

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Leveler heads, though, should caution against viewing Allura or Kardashian as aspirational examples, even if the latter legitimately followed her highly publicized flirtation with justice reform by seriously studying the law.

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After what Prunella described as "a mild Times crossword and Polo mints flirtation", they got together, and married in 1963.

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Her views on Israel, for instance, are entwined with her long record of flirtations with antisemitic conspiracy theories, and it’s the same story with her willingness to release the Epstein files.

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Related Words

• dalliance 
• flirting www.thesaurus.com
• toying www.thesaurus.com