copulation

noun

Definition of copulationnext
as in sex
sexual union involving penetration of the vagina by the penis female pandas are receptive to copulation for a short time once a year

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of copulation Berera was initially charged with committing a lewd act on a child and oral copulation of a person under 16, court records show, but those counts were dropped through the plea deal. — Nate Gartrell, Sacbee.com, 30 Apr. 2026 Berera was initially charged with committing a lewd act on a child and oral copulation of a person under 16, court records show, but those counts were dropped through the plea deal. — Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 29 Apr. 2026 More than likely, based on Golden State statutes, the eight years Weinstein received for the forcible oral copulation conviction will be reduced by a couple of years. — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 26 June 2026 She was booked on allegations of sending harmful material to a juvenile, oral copulation and digital penetration. — Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2026 The Valley overlaps geographically with the hippie homeland of San Francisco, Berkeley, and their environs, and there’s long been cross-pollination, if not orgiastic copulation, between the two spheres. — Literary Hub, 21 Nov. 2025 After spending close to seven years in prison, Weinstein, 74, has still served less than half of his 16-year-sentence in California, where he was found guilty of forcible rape, forcible oral copulation and penetration by foreign object against Jane Doe 1. — Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 25 June 2026 Samantha Josephine Watson, 41, of Eastvale, was booked at the Robert Presley Jail on Friday on suspicion of sending harmful material to a juvenile, oral copulation and digital penetration, according to a news release from the Riverside County Sheriff's Office. — Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 22 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for copulation
  1. intercourse
  2. mating
  3. relations
Noun
  • The two counts of rape Høiby was convicted of did not involve intercourse.
    — Gwladys Fouche, USA Today, 15 June 2026
  • However, soy isoflavones didn’t appear to provide significant overall benefits for painful intercourse, hot flashes, night sweats, and psychological symptoms.
    — Sarah Garone, Health, 22 May 2026
Definition of intercourse
Noun
  • In any number of species—elephant seals, red deer, rattlesnakes—the privilege of mating is settled by a fight.
    — Elizabeth Kolbert, New Yorker, 22 June 2026
  • Both food and mating motivate humpback journeys in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
    — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 19 June 2026
Definition of mating
Noun
  • Strategic thinking, understanding situations, client relations and accountability cannot be transferred to an algorithm.
    — Tyler Dykstra, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
  • The former congresswoman expressed interest in starting a new political party after her public split from the Republican Party over the handling of the Epstein files and relations with Israel.
    — Sydney Topf, The Washington Examiner, 7 July 2026
Definition of relations

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Cite this Entry

“Copulation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/copulation. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on copulation

Nglish: Translation of copulation for Spanish Speakers

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