indecent assault

American

noun

a sexual offense, other than rape, committed by one person against another.

indecent assault British

noun

the act of taking indecent liberties with a person without his or her consent

"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

Etymology

Origin of indecent assault

First recorded in 1860–65

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.

They include Rolf Harris, who went to prison for indecent assault, and Anthony Blunt, the former art adviser to the Queen who turned out to be a Soviet spy.

From BBC • Jan. 10, 2024

However, the judge on Wednesday threw out some indecent assault charges that had been included, citing a legal technicality.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 20, 2023

Odey was cleared of indecent assault charges by a British court in 2021.

From Reuters • Jun. 8, 2023

But Batali was acquitted of indecent assault and battery after a Boston judge agreed with Batali’s lawyers that the accuser had credibility issues and that photos suggested the encounter was amicable.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 24, 2022

In the case of common assaults as opposed to indecent assault, the prosecution seems to have been allowable only when the object of a wanton attack was a free person.

From Anabasis by Dakyns, Henry Graham

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023