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Synonyms

genital

American  
[jen-i-tl] / ˈdʒɛn ɪ tl /

adjective

  1. of, relating to, or noting reproduction.

  2. of or relating to the sexual organs.

  3. Psychoanalysis.

    1. of or relating to the genital phase of psychosexual development.

    2. of or relating to the centering of sexual impulses and excitation on the genitalia.


genital British  
/ ˈdʒɛnɪtəl /

adjective

  1. of or relating to the sexual organs or to reproduction

  2. psychoanal relating to the mature stage of psychosexual development in which an affectionate relationship with one's sex partner is established Compare anal oral phallic

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • postgenital adjective
  • pregenital adjective
  • subgenital adjective

Etymology

Origin of genital

1350–1400; Middle English < Old French < Latin genitālis of birth, equivalent to genit ( us ), past participle of gignere to beget + -ālis -al 1

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.

HPV is a common group of viruses affecting the skin, which do not cause problems in most people but certain types can cause cancer or genital warts.

From BBC • Feb. 6, 2026

Halfway through college, Russell spent two months in Tanzania assisting a nonprofit that taught female genital mutilation survivors how to make clothes to support themselves.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 21, 2026

The Gambia's Supreme Court began hearing a case this week brought by religious traditionalists who are hoping to topple the country's poorly enforced ban on female genital mutilation.

From Barron's • Dec. 18, 2025

Dimie Ogoina, a clinician at Niger Delta University in Nigeria, was the first to see mpox patients with genital lesions 7 years ago.

From Science Magazine • Apr. 19, 2024

The intersex movement aims to put an end to infant genital reconfiguration surgery.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides