masturbation

noun

mas·tur·ba·tion | \ ˌma-stər-ˈbā-shən

Definition of masturbation

: erotic stimulation especially of one's own genital (see genital sense 2) organs commonly resulting in orgasm and achieved by manual (see manual entry 1 sense 1) or other bodily contact exclusive of sexual intercourse, by instrumental manipulation (see manipulate sense 1), occasionally by sexual fantasies, or by various combinations of these agencies

Examples of masturbation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

There are actual pleasure pathways in the brain that are strengthened by masturbation, Wise explains. — Haley Swanson, Glamour, "6 Benefits of Female Masturbation That Will Convince You to Do it More," 30 May 2019 Together, Molly and Amy are quite the duo, practically attached to the hip and sharing almost every secret (including the use of a panda plushie as a masturbation helper). — Gabe Bergado, Teen Vogue, ""Booksmart" Star Kaitlyn Dever on What Makes the Movie So Funny, the Euphoria of Crushes, and Awkward Sex Scenes," 22 May 2019 Even on days when you're not desperately turned on, making time for masturbation has lots of benefits, from helping you explore your sexuality to relieving stress and even improving your health. — Suzannah Weiss, Glamour, "The Best 7 Masturbation Tips to Get You Super Turned On When You're Solo," 23 Mar. 2019 Plus, most people use masturbation as the occasional stress release. — Vanessa Marin, Allure, "Ask a Sex Therapist: My Boyfriend's Love of Porn Makes Me Feel Insecure — What Should I Do?," 9 Aug. 2018 Back in July, Disney cut ties with Gunn after far-right personalities uncovered old (now-deleted) tweets in which Gunn joked about rape, pedophilia, and masturbation. — Alex Abad-santos, Vox, "Warner Bros. has hired ex-Marvel director James Gunn to work on a Suicide Squad sequel," 9 Oct. 2018 The abuse ranged from groping and masturbation to anal, oral and vaginal rape. — Marc Levy, The Seattle Times, "Report: Pennsylvania priests molested over 1,000 children," 14 Aug. 2018 The abuse ranged from groping and masturbation to anal, oral and vaginal rape. — Frank Miles, Fox News, "Stunning findings on report of Catholic Church abuse: Pa. priests molested more than 1,000 children," 14 Aug. 2018 Often, with practice, women are able to learn to orgasm through self-pleasuring/masturbation exercises with their fingers or with a vibrator. — Sarah Jio, Woman's Day, "7 Common Reasons to Seek Sex Therapy," 8 Oct. 2010

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'masturbation.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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8 Jun 2019

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The first known use of masturbation was in 1603

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More Definitions for masturbation

masturbation

noun

mas·tur·ba·tion | \ ˌmas-tər-ˈbā-shən

Medical Definition of masturbation

: erotic stimulation especially of one's own genital organs commonly resulting in orgasm and achieved by manual or other bodily contact exclusive of sexual intercourse, by instrumental manipulation, occasionally by sexual fantasies, or by various combinations of these agencies