sexual assault

American

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

noun

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.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

sexual assaults

plural

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.

A spokesperson for the California Department of Public Health said the agency does not track how many births result from sexual assault.

From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2026

Vaughan put it to her: "This has nothing to do with you and sexual assault."

From BBC • May 29, 2026

A number of states, including California, now bar employers from using nondisclosure agreements to silence workers speaking out about workplace misconduct, including sexual assault, harassment and labor and safety violations.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 2026

Urge legislators to take action to limit mandatory arbitration, as when Congress enacted a law in 2022 prohibiting sexual harassment and sexual assault claims from being forced into arbitration.

From Slate • Apr. 27, 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