copulate

verb

cop·​u·​late ˈkä-pyə-ˌlāt 

copulated; copulating

intransitive verb

: to engage in sexual intercourse

copulation

ˌkä-pyə-ˈlā-shən 

noun

copulatory

ˈkä-pyə-lə-ˌtȯr-ē 

adjective

Synonyms

• breed
• mate
• sleep

Examples of copulate in a Sentence

Some animals have complex mating rituals before they copulate.

the time of year when deer in the wild are likely to copulate

Recent Examples on the Web

The Santal, in South Asia, believed that witches (always female) copulated with spirit familiars and devoured the organs of children. —Manvir Singh, New Yorker, 17 May 2025

He was groped over and under his clothes, forced to fondle and orally copulate the perpetrators and repeatedly raped. —Jeff McDonald, Mercury News, 12 May 2025

Religious leaders specified days on which, for medical or liturgical reasons, married couples were not to copulate—one Irish rule book from the early seventh century excluded a good two-thirds of the year. —S. C. Cornell, The New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2025

Once the toxin took effect, males mounted the females and copulated for between 40 and 75 minutes, without the risk of being gobbled up. —Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin copulatus, past participle of copulare to join, from copula — see copula

First Known Use

1630, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for copulate

• abdicate
• abrogate
• acetate
• activate
• actuate
• adsorbate
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• amputate

Kids Definition

copulate

verb

cop·​u·​late ˈkäp-yə-ˌlāt 

copulated; copulating

: to engage in sexual intercourse

copulation

ˌkäp-yə-ˈlā-shən 

noun

copulatory

ˈkäp-yə-lə-ˌtōr-ē 

-ˌtȯr-

adjective

Medical Definition

copulate

intransitive verb

cop·​u·​late ˈkäp-yə-ˌlāt 

copulated; copulating

1

: to engage in sexual intercourse

2

of gametes : to fuse permanently compare conjugate sense 1

copulation

ˌkäp-yə-ˈlā-shən 

noun

copulatory

ˈkäp-yə-lə-ˌtōr-ē, -ˌtȯr- 

adjective