sexual assault
Americannoun
-
sexual assaults
plural
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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.
In a video address over the weekend, Cornell University President Michael Kotlikoff said: “We will also lend our full support to legislative efforts to change New York’s sexual assault laws.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
Shortly after, Jane Doe reported the incident to Cornell police, leading the school to assemble a sexual assault task force and conduct an internal investigation.
From Salon ● Oct. 2, 2026
The attorney for the woman accusing Byron Scott of sexual assault says the former Laker’s bankruptcy filing is a “pathetic and cowardly” attempt to dodge his civil trial.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026
Four ice hockey players who were acquitted of sexual assault last year should remain barred from representing Canada at international level because they broke Hockey Canada's code of conduct, an independent appeals board has ruled.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 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.
