1
a
: a person who has not had sexual intercourse
b
: a person who is inexperienced in a usually specified sphere of activity
2
a
: an unmarried woman devoted to religion
b
capitalized
: virgo
3
a
: an absolutely chaste young woman
b
: an unmarried girl or woman
4
capitalized
: virgin mary
5
: a female animal that has never copulated
1
: chaste
3
of a vegetable oil
: obtained from the first light pressing and without heating
4
a(1)
: being used or worked for the first time
virgin lumber
see also virgin wool
(2)
of a metal
: produced directly from ore by primary smelting
5
: containing no alcohol
a virgin daiquiri
6
: free of impurity or stain : unsullied
7
: characteristic of or befitting a virgin : modest
Synonyms
Examples of virgin in a Sentence
Noun
a virgin in the world of comedy clubs, he's still learning to deal with hecklers
Adjective
encouraged the virgin youths to remain chaste
the state's only remaining virgin forest
Recent Examples on the Web
Kelsie Gibson, Peoplemag, 2 Apr. 2024
The final girl is usually a virtuous virgin—hence the palate of white lace.
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 13 Mar. 2024
In Garcia's previous book, Memories of My Melancholy Whores, ostensibly the first in the elderly series, a 90-year-old man pines for a 14-year old virgin.
—Carrie Kahn, NPR, 6 Mar. 2024
Olea would allegedly tease her about being a virgin.
—Ana Claudia Chacin and, Miami Herald, 29 Feb. 2024
However, many reusable water bottles use virgin material.
—Julia Gomez, USA TODAY, 30 Jan. 2024
Why is a virgin the safest thing to be in a scary movie?
—Gwen Ihnat, EW.com, 26 Sep. 2023
Rumors had been swirling that William Jr. was a virgin and identified as homosexual, and William hoped Ann could help change that.
—Dana Rose Falcone, Peoplemag, 1 Feb. 2024
The paintings were hung by the dead hand of phallocentric meritocracy — all those works by men, ew, all that God stuff with the floating bare-butt baby angels and rapturous virgins, all those mythological scenes of conquest and violence.
—James Lileks, National Review, 21 Dec. 2023
Anna Tingley, Variety, 26 Mar. 2024
Still, the report found that even the small amount of e-waste that currently gets recycled avoided the mining of 2 trillion pounds of ore for virgin metal in 2022.
—Matt Simon, WIRED, 20 Mar. 2024
This historical film about the virgin philosopher is, paradoxically, the funniest movie on the list.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 19 Mar. 2024
China last year opened 17 new plants that convert oil or gas into virgin resin, the raw material used to make plastic water bottles.
—David J. Lynch, Washington Post, 18 Mar. 2024
The area is known for its high-quality extra virgin olive oil, Chianina meat, Cinta Sense cold cuts, homemade pici pasta–and white, Rosato, red, sparkling, and dessert wines.
—Irene S. Levine, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024
The special processing helps extra virgin oil retain its nutrients.
—Kristen Rogers, CNN, 19 Feb. 2024
But two new properties are providing worthy lodging for those who dare wish for world-class hospitality alongside their desire for exceptional guides and virgin powder on precipitous slopes.
—Paul Croughton, Robb Report, 18 Feb. 2024
That means convincing her parents Danny (Sunny's real-life dad Adam Sandler) and Bree (Idina Menzel) to get a virgin mojito bar, winning over her crush Andy Goldfarb (Dylan Hoffman), and partying side by side with her best friend Lydia Rodriguez Katz (Samantha Lorraine).
—Calie Schepp, EW.com, 25 Aug. 2023
Noun
The series follows a 23-year-old virgin who becomes pregnant after an accidental artificial insemination.
—Kelsie Gibson, Peoplemag, 2 Apr. 2024
The final girl is usually a virtuous virgin—hence the palate of white lace.
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 13 Mar. 2024
In Garcia's previous book, Memories of My Melancholy Whores, ostensibly the first in the elderly series, a 90-year-old man pines for a 14-year old virgin.
—Carrie Kahn, NPR, 6 Mar. 2024
Olea would allegedly tease her about being a virgin.
—Ana Claudia Chacin and, Miami Herald, 29 Feb. 2024
However, many reusable water bottles use virgin material.
—Julia Gomez, USA TODAY, 30 Jan. 2024
Why is a virgin the safest thing to be in a scary movie?
—Gwen Ihnat, EW.com, 26 Sep. 2023
Rumors had been swirling that William Jr. was a virgin and identified as homosexual, and William hoped Ann could help change that.
—Dana Rose Falcone, Peoplemag, 1 Feb. 2024
The paintings were hung by the dead hand of phallocentric meritocracy — all those works by men, ew, all that God stuff with the floating bare-butt baby angels and rapturous virgins, all those mythological scenes of conquest and violence.
—James Lileks, National Review, 21 Dec. 2023
Adjective
This ultra-soft blanket is made from 100% soft virgin lambswool and handmade in Germany, woven in a versatile shade of grey.
—Anna Tingley, Variety, 26 Mar. 2024
Still, the report found that even the small amount of e-waste that currently gets recycled avoided the mining of 2 trillion pounds of ore for virgin metal in 2022.
—Matt Simon, WIRED, 20 Mar. 2024
This historical film about the virgin philosopher is, paradoxically, the funniest movie on the list.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 19 Mar. 2024
China last year opened 17 new plants that convert oil or gas into virgin resin, the raw material used to make plastic water bottles.
—David J. Lynch, Washington Post, 18 Mar. 2024
The area is known for its high-quality extra virgin olive oil, Chianina meat, Cinta Sense cold cuts, homemade pici pasta–and white, Rosato, red, sparkling, and dessert wines.
—Irene S. Levine, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024
The special processing helps extra virgin oil retain its nutrients.
—Kristen Rogers, CNN, 19 Feb. 2024
But two new properties are providing worthy lodging for those who dare wish for world-class hospitality alongside their desire for exceptional guides and virgin powder on precipitous slopes.
—Paul Croughton, Robb Report, 18 Feb. 2024
That means convincing her parents Danny (Sunny's real-life dad Adam Sandler) and Bree (Idina Menzel) to get a virgin mojito bar, winning over her crush Andy Goldfarb (Dylan Hoffman), and partying side by side with her best friend Lydia Rodriguez Katz (Samantha Lorraine).
—Calie Schepp, EW.com, 25 Aug. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'virgin.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Phrases Containing virgin
Dictionary Entries Near virgin
Cite this Entry
“Virgin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/virgin. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
virgin
1 of 2 noun
vir·gin
ˈvər-jən 
: a person who has not had sexual intercourse
virgin
2 of 2 adjective1
: being a virgin
2
: not soiled
virgin snow
especially
: not altered by human activity
virgin soil
3
: being used or worked for the first time
virgin wool
Medical Definition
Geographical Definition
Virgin
geographical name
Vir·gin
ˈvər-jən
river 200 miles (322 kilometers) long in southwestern Utah and southeastern Nevada flowing to Lake Mead
More from Merriam-Webster on virgin
Nglish: Translation of virgin for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of virgin for Arabic Speakers
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