fornication

[ fawr-ni-key-shuhn ]

noun

1. voluntary sexual intercourse between two unmarried persons or two persons not married to each other.
2. Bible. idolatry.

fornication

/ ˌfɔːnɪˈkeɪʃən /

noun

1. voluntary sexual intercourse outside marriage
2. law voluntary sexual intercourse between two persons of the opposite sex, where one is or both are unmarried
3. Bible sexual immorality in general, esp adultery

Other Words From

• for·ni·ca·to·ry [fawr, -ni-k, uh, -tawr-ee, -tohr-ee], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of fornication¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English fornicacioun, from Late Latin fornicātiōn-, stem of fornicātiō; equivalent to fornicate ¹ + -ion

Example Sentences

Alef was charged with, amongst other things, “appearing in public without a hijab” and “promotion of corruption and fornication”.

From BBC

But that was before the semi-amateur spies accidentally killed John Turturro’s billionaire character after he subjected them to his dog fornication fetish.

From Los Angeles Times

Khawar Maneka - a civil servant and son of a well-known politician - filed a complaint alleging "fraudulent marriage and fornication" in November, according to Pakistan's Dawn newspaper.

From BBC

The courts threw out the fornication charge but the fraudulent marriage case has been allowed to proceed.

From BBC

The last in-depth study of the commonality of "fornication" — the loaded term for people who have sex outside of marriage — only documented behavior through 2003.

From Salon