genital

adjective

gen·​i·​tal ˈje-nə-tᵊl How to pronounce genital (audio)
1
2
: of, relating to, or being a sexual organ
3
: of, relating to, or characterized by the stage of psychosexual development in psychoanalytic theory following the latency (see latency sense 3) period and during which oral and anal impulses are subordinated to adaptive interpersonal mechanisms
genitally adverb

Examples of genital in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Most humans are infected with an HPV virus at some point in their life, which can lead to the development of benign genital or skin warts, or in some cases, cancer of the cervix, head or neck. Matthew Binnicker, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025 The report said its findings showed patterns in the assaults, including victims found partially or fully naked with their hands tied, evidence of gang rape followed by killing, genital mutilation and public humiliation, indicating they were intentionally used as a weapon of war. Tia Goldenberg, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2025 Saunders performed genital ultrasounds on men from his running group in his bedroom under the guise of heart scans. Kevin Grasha, The Enquirer, 6 Aug. 2025 Former Barca forward Carles Perez is facing a spell on the sidelines after a dog bite in his genital area. Ali Rampling, New York Times, 31 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for genital

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin genitalis, from genitus, past participle of gignere to beget — more at kin

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of genital was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Genital.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/genital. Accessed 23 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

genital

adjective
gen·​i·​tal ˈjen-ə-tᵊl How to pronounce genital (audio)
: of or relating to reproduction or the sexual organs

Medical Definition

genital

adjective
gen·​i·​tal ˈjen-ə-tᵊl How to pronounce genital (audio)
1
2
: of, relating to, or being a sexual organ
3
a
: of, relating to, or characterized by the stage of psychosexual development in psychoanalytic theory following the latency period and during which oral and anal impulses are subordinated to adaptive interpersonal mechanisms
b
: of, relating to, or characterized by a personality in the genital stage of psychosexual development especially as typified by normal sexual desires and by concern for the happiness and pleasures of others compare anal sense 2, oral sense 3
genitally adverb

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