acquaintance rape

noun

: rape committed by someone known to the victim

Examples of acquaintance rape in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Reporting acquaintance rape—rape committed by someone like a colleague, intimate partner, or friend—can be particularly difficult because victims are often reluctant to label their experience as rape. Hahna Yoon, SELF, 31 Aug. 2020 Most rapes are acquaintance rapes, and most of these do not have the hallmarks of what many, even in 2019, consider rape rape — abduction or roofies or knives at the throat. Steph Cha, USA TODAY, 28 Aug. 2019 Years of research on acquaintance rape have, furthermore, debunked the misperception that most assailants are strangers with knives in dark alleys or home invaders who climb into bedrooms through open windows. Time, 3 Sep. 2019 In the 2014 comic, Trigger Warning: Breakfast, an anonymous woman writes about an acquaintance rape. Marissa Korbel, Harper's BAZAAR, 25 Apr. 2018 Cosby's defense team argued that O'Neill should have recused himself from the retrial because his wife is a clinical social worker whose dissertation focused on acquaintance rape. Eric Levenson, CNN, 8 Apr. 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'acquaintance rape.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1974, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of acquaintance rape was in 1974

Dictionary Entries Near acquaintance rape

Cite this Entry

“Acquaintance rape.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/acquaintance%20rape. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Medical Definition

acquaintance rape

noun
ac·​quain·​tance rape ə-ˈkwānt-ᵊn(t)s- How to pronounce acquaintance rape (audio)
: rape committed by someone known to the victim

Legal Definition

acquaintance rape

noun
: rape committed by someone known to the victim
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