sexual intercourse

American  

[sek-shoo-uhl in-ter-kawrs] / ˈsɛk ʃu əl ˈɪn tərˌkɔrs /

noun

1. genital contact, especially the insertion of the penis into the vagina followed by orgasm; coitus; copulation.

2. a sex act that involves penetration of one person’s vagina, anus, or mouth by another person for the sexual gratification of one or both parties.

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sexual intercourse British  

noun

1. the act carried out for procreation or for pleasure in which, typically, the insertion of the male's erect penis into the female's vagina is followed by rhythmic thrusting usually culminating in orgasm; copulation; coitus

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Etymology

Origin of sexual intercourse

First recorded in 1790–1800

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sexual intercourse

It can cause extreme pain during periods, sexual intercourse and bowel movements, as well as pelvic pain, abdominal bloating, nausea and fatigue.

From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2025

The WHO defines infertility as a disease of the male or female reproductive system that is defined by the failure to achieve a pregnancy after 12 months or more of regular unprotected sexual intercourse.

From Reuters ● Apr. 4, 2023

Those he cited include precedents barring states from criminalizing or otherwise blocking people from buying and using contraception; sexual intercourse between consenting adults of the same sex; and interracial or same-sex marriages.

From New York Times ● May 5, 2022

Muslims are forbidden from engaging in sexual intercourse, cutting their hair or trimming their nails while in ihram.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2018

According to one of the aphorisms of Hippocrates, repeated by Buffon, eunuchs do not become bald, and Aristotle seems to have believed that sexual intercourse is a cause of baldness in men.

From Studies in the Psychology of Sex, Volume 5 Erotic Symbolism; The Mechanism of Detumescence; The Psychic State in Pregnancy by Ellis, Havelock

Related Words

• cohabitation