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Synonyms

X-rated

American  
[eks-rey-tid] / ˈɛksˌreɪ tɪd /

adjective

  1. (of a motion picture; no longer in official use by the Motion Picture Association of America) having a rating of X; intended for adults only.

  2. of or relating to a pornographic film.

  3. obscene, sexually explicit, or vulgar: X-rated selfies.

    X-rated dance moves;

    X-rated selfies.


X-rated British  

adjective

  1. (formerly, in Britain) (of a film) considered suitable for viewing by adults only

  2. informal involving bad language, violence, or sex

    an X-rated conversation

"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

X-rated Idioms  
  1. Sexually explicit, vulgar, or obscene, as in This film should be X-rated; it's not suitable for children. This expression alludes to a rating system established for motion pictures, in which films rated X may not be viewed by persons under the age of 17. [c. 1970]


Etymology

Origin of X-rated

First recorded in 1970–75; X 3 ( def. 8 ) + rate 1 ( def. ) + -ed 2 ( def. )

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.

"I'm the messiah… I'm Marvel Jesus!" proclaims Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool in his third lead outing as the acerbic, X-rated, genre-satirising anti-hero, who returns to cinemas on Thursday for the first time since 2018.

From BBC • Jul. 24, 2024

Ghost work refers to the paid, piecework data labeling that humans do so the models can learn correct decisions: for instance, labeling images, flagging X-rated content, tagging text or audio content, proofreading, and much more.

From Slate • Jun. 26, 2021

In the best picture category, “Z” lost to “Midnight Cowboy,” John Schlesinger’s X-rated drama starring Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight.

From New York Times • Feb. 3, 2020

“There’s censorship, airline to airline, of films, which there must be some kind of governing board to determine. We rate it a certain way. If it’s not X-rated, surely it’s acceptable on an airplane.”

From Fox News • Oct. 29, 2019

Hitler and the Nazi Cult of Celebrityby Michael Munn Among Munn's dozens of star-struck biographies is a volume entitled X-rated: the Paranormal Experiences of the Movie Star Greats.

From The Guardian • May 17, 2012