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Synonyms

sexual assault

American  
[sek-shoo-uhl uh-sawlt] / ˈsɛk ʃu əl əˈsɔlt /

noun

  1. nonconsensual touching of one person for the sexual gratification of another, including rape, fondling, molestation, or other unwanted contact with the genitals, anus, buttocks, groin, or breasts of either party.

    The victim was intoxicated and incapable of giving consent, so any sex act will be treated as sexual assault.

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.

He’s the International Criminal Court prosecutor who requested arrest warrants for Israel’s leaders in 2024, shortly after learning he had been accused of sexual assault.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 27, 2026

Trials are about discovering the truth, and a jury should know if a defendant has been accused of rape or sexual assault in the past.

From Slate • Apr. 22, 2026

Rose, the 40-year-old Australian actor known for “Orange Is the New Black” and the CW series “Batwoman,” accused Perry, 41, of sexual assault in a series of Threads posts over the weekend.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2026

On Thursday, an attorney representing Swalwell sent a cease-and-desist letter to at least one person demanding that they stop accusing the congressman of sexual assault.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 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.