sexual assault

[ sek-shoo-uhl uh-sawlt ]

noun

1. 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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of sexual assault¹

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

In 2017, police in Monterey, California, investigated Hegseth for an “alleged sexual assault,” a fact that only came to light a day after he was nominated for Defense secretary.

From Salon

She will spearhead the Trump administration’s education policies, which could reshape federal financial aid, federal research funding and civil rights for LGBTQ+ people and those accused of sexual assault.

From Los Angeles Times

We just went through a presidential election in which the winning candidate, Donald Trump, is a man who has been credibly accused of sexual assault by no fewer than 25 women.

From Salon

Attorneys for the celebrity said Buzbee, in communications, threatened to “unleash entirely fabricated and malicious allegations of sexual assault.”

From Los Angeles Times

It's not just that Trump doesn't care about sexual assault.

From Salon

Related Words

• molestation
• rape
• violation