flirtation

[ flur-tey-shuhn ]

noun

1. the act or practice of flirting; coquetry.
2. a love affair that is not serious.

flirtation

/ flɜːˈteɪʃən /

noun

1. behaviour intended to arouse sexual feelings or advances without emotional commitment; coquetry
2. any casual involvement without commitment

   a flirtation with journalism

Other Words From

• flir·tation·al adjective
• flir·tation·less adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of flirtation¹

First recorded in 1710–20; flirt + -ation

Example Sentences

It underscores the shallowness of his distinction between legal and illegal arrivals, his flirtation with Great Replacement Theory, and his grotesque fixation on genetics.

From Slate

Half a century after release, the country star’s song based loosely on a flirtation between her husband and a bank teller is Parton’s most covered creation.

From Los Angeles Times

But now that flirtation has become a full-on embrace.

From Los Angeles Times

But there are risks to Paramount’s late-in-the-game flirtation with another suitor.

From Los Angeles Times

For tourists, a summer visit to Death Valley is a brief flirtation with deadly heat.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• dalliance
• flirting
• toying