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pros·ti·tute
ˈprä-stə-ˌtüt 
-ˌtyüt
prostituted; prostituting; prostitutes
1
: to offer for sexual intercourse in exchange for pay
prostitute oneself
2
: to devote to corrupt or unworthy purposes : debase
prostitute one's talents
: to act as a prostitute : to prostitute oneself
When she prostituted, she worked as a call girl …—
Joanne Meyerowitz
Joanne Meyerowitz
: devoted to corrupt purposes : prostituted
plural prostitutes
1
: a person who engages in sexual intercourse in exchange for pay
2
: a person (such as a writer or painter) who deliberately debases his or her talents (as for money)
Synonyms
Example Sentences
Verb
a writer who prostituted his talents by writing commercials
a serious writer prostituting himself by writing pulp novels for money
Noun
was caught procuring the services of a prostitute
Recent Examples on the WebArmond White, National Review, 7 Dec. 2022
Roberts portrays prostitute Vivian Ward, who is hired by businessman Edward Lewis (Richard Gere) to be his fake girlfriend for a week of events in Los Angeles.
—The Editors, Town & Country, 9 July 2022
Gormican and co-writer Kevin Etten don’t account for filmgoers’ ironic awareness that actors can prostitute themselves and occasionally redeem lousy assignments with exemplary work.
—Armond White, National Review, 22 Apr. 2022
Prosecutors said Price met the two underage girls from Texas through Instagram and encouraged both to prostitute themselves.
—Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Sep. 2020
But over the years, like in Venice and Barcelona, floods of visitors have overwhelmed local lives -- from puking stoners to prostitute stalkers.
—Ruben Munsterman, Fortune, 9 June 2020
The victim told police that Veasley spoke to her about prostituting herself and provided her with a pack of condoms.
—Elliot Hughes, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 26 May 2020
Celia now takes refuge in a ravine beneath a highway overpass with other homeless children who dumpster dive for food and prostitute themselves for a few dollars or the promise of a hot meal or drugs.
—Elizabeth Hand, Washington Post, 28 Oct. 2019
The woman testified that Tawfeeq talked to her about how to prostitute herself to make extra money.
—Amanda Marrazzo, chicagotribune.com, 7 Nov. 2019
Debby Wolfinsohn, EW.com, 4 Jan. 2023
Everett Collection Abused by his prostitute mother, Frank Zito (Joe Spinell) turns to a life of crime as an adult and becomes a vicious serial killer.
—Steven Thrash, EW.com, 27 Oct. 2022
Police are thinking differently about the undetermined death of a woman previously thought to have been killed in a rash of prostitute murders on Long Island, New York.
—Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 13 May 2022
But the record suggests that Comey might have had another reason for taking the unverified story of the prostitute video to Trump.
—New York Times, 15 Jan. 2017
Now Julianna cobbles together a living as a cocktail waitress, part-time exotic dancer and quasi-prostitute.
—Oline H. Cogdill, sun-sentinel.com, 11 Aug. 2020
Margherita Stancati, WSJ, 15 Dec. 2021
It’s got to be tough being in that kind of business, being a prostitute.
—Ben Crandell, sun-sentinel.com, 31 Aug. 2021
This enveloping historical drama set in 1850s Monterey centers on Eliza, recently widowed and working as a prostitute.
—People Staff, Peoplemag, 3 Feb. 2023
Belle de Jour, a film about a French woman who, unable to be intimate with her husband, decides to become a high class prostitute.
—Keith Nelson, Men's Health, 30 Nov. 2022
Juana Rivera, 19 of Lowell, allegedly recruited Rodriguez, who was homeless, to be a prostitute, but then set her up to be robbed after animosity and conflict developed between the two.
—Adam Sennott, BostonGlobe.com, 27 Jan. 2023
Cecil Tim Morrison, a teacher at Marcus High School and the football team’s offensive coordinator, resigned after his arrest for solicitation of a prostitute, according to the Lewisville Independent School District (ISD).
—Sarah Rumpf, Fox News, 25 Jan. 2023
Because the terrorist in question, one Theo, was a great-grandson of Vincent van Gogh, his grandfather the son of the prostitute to whom Vincent gave the lobe of his ear and, counterfactually, a child.
—Wyatt Mason, Harper’s Magazine , 6 Jan. 2023
In 2019, Kraft was charged with two counts of solicitation of a prostitute, but those charges were later dropped because of a technicality.
—Brent Schrotenboer, USA TODAY, 28 June 2022
See More
Verb
This film of a widowed housewife (Delphine Seyrig) — her routine chores, maternal social-role obligations, and limited freedom (to prostitute herself, then exact murderous revenge on a male client) — is deliberately anti-dramatic and misandrist.
—Armond White, National Review, 7 Dec. 2022
Roberts portrays prostitute Vivian Ward, who is hired by businessman Edward Lewis (Richard Gere) to be his fake girlfriend for a week of events in Los Angeles.
—The Editors, Town & Country, 9 July 2022
Gormican and co-writer Kevin Etten don’t account for filmgoers’ ironic awareness that actors can prostitute themselves and occasionally redeem lousy assignments with exemplary work.
—Armond White, National Review, 22 Apr. 2022
Prosecutors said Price met the two underage girls from Texas through Instagram and encouraged both to prostitute themselves.
—Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Sep. 2020
But over the years, like in Venice and Barcelona, floods of visitors have overwhelmed local lives -- from puking stoners to prostitute stalkers.
—Ruben Munsterman, Fortune, 9 June 2020
The victim told police that Veasley spoke to her about prostituting herself and provided her with a pack of condoms.
—Elliot Hughes, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 26 May 2020
Celia now takes refuge in a ravine beneath a highway overpass with other homeless children who dumpster dive for food and prostitute themselves for a few dollars or the promise of a hot meal or drugs.
—Elizabeth Hand, Washington Post, 28 Oct. 2019
The woman testified that Tawfeeq talked to her about how to prostitute herself to make extra money.
—Amanda Marrazzo, chicagotribune.com, 7 Nov. 2019
Adjective
And the rest is history: Marshall waved his sitcom-ic magic wand over the whole thing and turned into a Disney princess story while also keeping the prostitute part.
—Debby Wolfinsohn, EW.com, 4 Jan. 2023
Everett Collection Abused by his prostitute mother, Frank Zito (Joe Spinell) turns to a life of crime as an adult and becomes a vicious serial killer.
—Steven Thrash, EW.com, 27 Oct. 2022
Police are thinking differently about the undetermined death of a woman previously thought to have been killed in a rash of prostitute murders on Long Island, New York.
—Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 13 May 2022
But the record suggests that Comey might have had another reason for taking the unverified story of the prostitute video to Trump.
—New York Times, 15 Jan. 2017
Now Julianna cobbles together a living as a cocktail waitress, part-time exotic dancer and quasi-prostitute.
—Oline H. Cogdill, sun-sentinel.com, 11 Aug. 2020
Noun
When Marjan Amiri marched for women’s rights on the streets of Kabul in September, Taliban gunmen called her a prostitute, kicked her and threatened to shoot her in the head.
—Margherita Stancati, WSJ, 15 Dec. 2021
It’s got to be tough being in that kind of business, being a prostitute.
—Ben Crandell, sun-sentinel.com, 31 Aug. 2021
This enveloping historical drama set in 1850s Monterey centers on Eliza, recently widowed and working as a prostitute.
—People Staff, Peoplemag, 3 Feb. 2023
Belle de Jour, a film about a French woman who, unable to be intimate with her husband, decides to become a high class prostitute.
—Keith Nelson, Men's Health, 30 Nov. 2022
Juana Rivera, 19 of Lowell, allegedly recruited Rodriguez, who was homeless, to be a prostitute, but then set her up to be robbed after animosity and conflict developed between the two.
—Adam Sennott, BostonGlobe.com, 27 Jan. 2023
Cecil Tim Morrison, a teacher at Marcus High School and the football team’s offensive coordinator, resigned after his arrest for solicitation of a prostitute, according to the Lewisville Independent School District (ISD).
—Sarah Rumpf, Fox News, 25 Jan. 2023
Because the terrorist in question, one Theo, was a great-grandson of Vincent van Gogh, his grandfather the son of the prostitute to whom Vincent gave the lobe of his ear and, counterfactually, a child.
—Wyatt Mason, Harper’s Magazine , 6 Jan. 2023
In 2019, Kraft was charged with two counts of solicitation of a prostitute, but those charges were later dropped because of a technicality.
—Brent Schrotenboer, USA TODAY, 28 June 2022
See More
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'prostitute.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Word History
Phrases Containing prostitute
Articles Related to prostitute
Dictionary Entries Near prostitute
Cite this Entry
“Prostitute.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prostitute. Accessed 23 Mar. 2023.
Kids Definition
prostitute
1 of 2 verb
pros·ti·tute
ˈpräs-tə-ˌt(y)üt
prostituted; prostituting
: to put (as one's talents) to unworthy uses : debase
prostitute
2 of 2 noun
: a person who engages in sexual activities for money
More from Merriam-Webster on prostitute
Nglish: Translation of prostitute for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of prostitute for Arabic Speakers
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