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harlotry

noun

har·​lot·​ry ˈhär-lə-trē How to pronounce harlotry (audio)
plural harlotries
Synonyms of harlotrynext
1
disapproving
a
: uninhibited sexual behavior
b
2
archaic : an immoral woman
He sups tonight with a harlotryWilliam Shakespeare

Examples of harlotry in a Sentence

a city that in biblical times was infamous for licentiousness and harlotry
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.
In one case, the life of an upper-class woman and contemporary of Julius Caesar, Clodia, saw her reputation destroyed by false claims of harlotry, home-wrecking, and husband-killing. Time, 24 Nov. 2025 Within the slippery world of harlotry—where class can be transcended and humanity bought—relationships form that defy our historical assumptions about the bounded categories of human experience. Sarah Marshall, New Republic, 2 June 2017 That's how my job eventually descended into harlotry: through the endless cat-and-mouse game of porntrepreneurs subverting Google's anti-smut policies. Lucas Peterson, GQ, 22 May 2017

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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

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Cite this Entry

“Harlotry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/harlotry. Accessed 5 Dec. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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