prostitution

noun pros·ti·tu·tion \ ˌprä-stə-ˈtü-shən , -ˈtyü- \

Updated on: 20 Apr 2018

1 : the act or practice of engaging in promiscuous sexual relations especially for money

2 : the state of being prostituted : debasement

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Examples of prostitution in a Sentence

She was arrested for prostitution.
Writing commercials was a prostitution of his talents.

Recent Examples of prostitution from the Web

These unchaperoned women, some people worried, could be pedaling away to engage in prostitution or lesbianism. Cycling trousers, along with women on bikes, were also a target of ridicule.

— christine ro, The Atlantic, "How Cycling Clothing Opened Doors for Women," 15 Apr. 2018
Backpage pleads guilty to facilitating prostitution.

— polina marinova, Fortune, "Term Sheet -- Friday April 13," 13 Apr. 2018
Fifty of the counts, applying to six of the defendants, involved the website facilitating prostitution.

— richard ruelas, azcentral, "Backpage exec Michael Lacey ordered released on $1M bond while awaiting trial," 13 Apr. 2018
Seven people associated with the website were recently indicted on charges of facilitating prostitution, conspiracy and money laundering.

— aileen graef, CNN, "Woman 'dabs' for joy behind Trump in Oval Office as bill is signed," 11 Apr. 2018
On Monday, the criminal indictment against Backpage was unsealed; seven of their staffers were charged with money laundering and violations of the Travel Act concerning facilitating prostitution.

— melissa gira grant, The Cut, "7 Sex Workers on What It Means to Lose Backpage," 10 Apr. 2018
The seven suspects, who have all been arrested, were charged with conspiracy, facilitating prostitution, and money laundering, among other accusations.

— cyrus farivar, Ars Technica, "Backpage execs indicted on federal prostitution, money laundering charges," 9 Apr. 2018
The undercover operation is part of an ongoing effort to combat prostitution, human trafficking and related crimes in Howard County, police said.

— kate elizabeth queram, Howard County Times, "Eleven men arrested in Howard County prostitution sting," 6 Apr. 2018
Rayton, 44, is now charged in U.S. District Court in Kansas City with attempted enticement to travel across state lines to engage in prostitution.

— tony rizzo, kansascity, "Prostitution recruit was FBI agent; alleged pimp arrested at KC Greyhound station | The Kansas City Star," 26 Mar. 2018

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

First Known Use of prostitution

1553

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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PROSTITUTION Defined for English Language Learners

prostitution

noun

: the work of a prostitute : the act of having sex in exchange for money
: the use of a skill or ability in a way that is not appropriate or respectable

Law Dictionary

prostitution

noun pros·ti·tu·tion \ ˌpräs-tə-ˈtü-shən, -ˈtyü- \

: the act or practice of engaging in sexual activity indiscriminately especially for money; also : the crime of engaging in such activity

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See words that rhyme with prostitution Spanish Central: Translation of prostitution Nglish: Translation of prostitution for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of prostitution for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about prostitution

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prostitution

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