as in sex
sexual union involving penetration of the vagina by the penis
the act of coitus is the natural method by which conception occurs
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of coitus
What this means for me, practically speaking, is that the director wants a close-up of my face as my character Joe is deep in dissociative reverie mid-coitus.
—
Sophie Ansari,
Vulture,
25 Sep. 2025
When coitus occurs, it’s scored by unctuous music.
—
Vinson Cunningham,
New Yorker,
18 Sep. 2025
Adding to these racial fetish undertones is a Black family servant whose coitus with Lucy’s soon-to-be sister-in-law (a white woman with box braids) is also constantly on display, leaving her to pleasure herself when he’s called away.
—
Nicholas Bell,
SPIN,
31 July 2024
One thing leads to another — just because returning screenwriter Reid Carolin says so — and Mike’s performance for Max ends with the two of them in bed, after an apparent act of off-camera coitus.
—
Michael O'Sullivan,
Washington Post,
9 Feb. 2023
And there is a conversation about the necessity of being flexible during bunk-bed coitus.
—
Darren Franich,
EW.com,
7 Sep. 2022
Chris Jericho had to introduce two new members of the Jericho Appreciation Society (Sammy and Tay), narrate near-coitus between Sammy and Tay, explain what a Suzuki Gun was and promote a six-man tag team match all in one promo.
—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes,
16 June 2022
The males also fight each other with their weapons, often ambushing another male mid-coitus.
—
Ed Yong,
Discover Magazine,
19 Oct. 2012
Sophie Ansari,
Vulture,
25 Sep. 2025
When coitus occurs, it’s scored by unctuous music.
—
Vinson Cunningham,
New Yorker,
18 Sep. 2025
Adding to these racial fetish undertones is a Black family servant whose coitus with Lucy’s soon-to-be sister-in-law (a white woman with box braids) is also constantly on display, leaving her to pleasure herself when he’s called away.
—
Nicholas Bell,
SPIN,
31 July 2024
One thing leads to another — just because returning screenwriter Reid Carolin says so — and Mike’s performance for Max ends with the two of them in bed, after an apparent act of off-camera coitus.
—
Michael O'Sullivan,
Washington Post,
9 Feb. 2023
And there is a conversation about the necessity of being flexible during bunk-bed coitus.
—
Darren Franich,
EW.com,
7 Sep. 2022
Chris Jericho had to introduce two new members of the Jericho Appreciation Society (Sammy and Tay), narrate near-coitus between Sammy and Tay, explain what a Suzuki Gun was and promote a six-man tag team match all in one promo.
—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes,
16 June 2022
The males also fight each other with their weapons, often ambushing another male mid-coitus.
—
Ed Yong,
Discover Magazine,
19 Oct. 2012
Recent Examples of Synonyms for coitus
Noun
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The two counts of rape Høiby was convicted of did not involve intercourse.
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However, soy isoflavones didn’t appear to provide significant overall benefits for painful intercourse, hot flashes, night sweats, and psychological symptoms.
Noun
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In any number of species—elephant seals, red deer, rattlesnakes—the privilege of mating is settled by a fight.
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Both food and mating motivate humpback journeys in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
Noun
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Emily Brontë’s telling of this narrative premise was, also, far ahead of its time, unadorned, stripped bare, always in immediate reach of the brutal facts of her characters’ relations and complications with each other.
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Runcie is sharply attuned to the vast uncomfortable grey areas of gender and power relations, navigating them with wry, revelatory observations that are devastatingly acute.
Cite this Entry
“Coitus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coitus. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.
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