fornication
Americannoun
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voluntary sexual intercourse between two unmarried persons or two persons not married to each other.
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Bible. idolatry.
noun
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voluntary sexual intercourse outside marriage
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law voluntary sexual intercourse between two persons of the opposite sex, where one is or both are unmarried
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Bible sexual immorality in general, esp adultery
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:
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.
Vocabulary lists containing fornication
A Storm of Swords
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A Dance with Dragons
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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.
Khawar Maneka - a civil servant and son of a well-known politician - filed a complaint alleging "fraudulent marriage and fornication" in November, according to Pakistan's Dawn newspaper.
From BBC • Jan. 31, 2024
Also in May, Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, a Democrat, signed a public safety bill repealing the state’s sodomy ban as well as bans on adultery and fornication.
From New York Times • Jul. 21, 2023
So that means that right now at least seven states are suddenly amending or repealing their adultery and fornication statutes, most for the first time since they were enacted.
From Salon • May 6, 2019
According to a probable-cause affidavit from the 1800s, a man in those days could be charged for fornication, and county insanity records state one individual was admitted for nervousness.
From Washington Times • Jan. 23, 2016
Had Margaery Tyrell somehow wriggled free of the accusations of fornication, adultery, and high treason?
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
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.
