as in sex
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Recent Examples of fornication
Songs were also frequently flagged as dance music—while authorities viewed singing as having a proper place in praising God, dancing was totally forbidden as a gateway to fornication.
—
Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 9 May 2025
If the apparent maidservant was actually a man committing fornication that might lead to another servant’s falling pregnant, then Hall was a materially destabilizing influence in the community.
—Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2024
Strong was promoted to Hand of the King after King Viserys banished Otto Hightower from court in the wake of allegations of fornication between Princess Rhaenyra and Prince Daemon.
—Sean T. Collins, Vulture, 13 June 2024
Cleon is in the throes of hot, sweaty fornication with his robot aid, Laura Birn's Eto, when a group of assassins infiltrate his quarters and attack.
—Nick Romano, EW.com, 10 July 2023
Charlotte, Harry, Lisa, and Herbert are gathered to send their kids off to summer camp, guaranteeing a few weeks of unfettered fornication.
—Aimée Lutkin, ELLE, 6 July 2023
Anthony Mackie and Zoë Chao star as a pair of astronauts stranded aboard a NASA shuttle that gets lost in space, and their decent onscreen chemistry helps fuel a rom-com tackling questions of fidelity, friendship and, well, fornication, as the would-be couple endlessly drifts through the cosmos.
—Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Mar. 2023
Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 9 May 2025
If the apparent maidservant was actually a man committing fornication that might lead to another servant’s falling pregnant, then Hall was a materially destabilizing influence in the community.
—Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2024
Strong was promoted to Hand of the King after King Viserys banished Otto Hightower from court in the wake of allegations of fornication between Princess Rhaenyra and Prince Daemon.
—Sean T. Collins, Vulture, 13 June 2024
Cleon is in the throes of hot, sweaty fornication with his robot aid, Laura Birn's Eto, when a group of assassins infiltrate his quarters and attack.
—Nick Romano, EW.com, 10 July 2023
Charlotte, Harry, Lisa, and Herbert are gathered to send their kids off to summer camp, guaranteeing a few weeks of unfettered fornication.
—Aimée Lutkin, ELLE, 6 July 2023
Anthony Mackie and Zoë Chao star as a pair of astronauts stranded aboard a NASA shuttle that gets lost in space, and their decent onscreen chemistry helps fuel a rom-com tackling questions of fidelity, friendship and, well, fornication, as the would-be couple endlessly drifts through the cosmos.
—Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Mar. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fornication
Noun
-
The findings, from 1,592 U.S. citizens of different ages, sexes, races and incomes, were collected between Dec. 20 and Dec. 22.—
Nicholas Rice,
PEOPLE,
28 Dec. 2025
-
On his first day in office, Mr. Trump signed an executive order that declared the federal government would recognize only two immutable sexes: male and female.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
18 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Brian Peck pleaded no contest to a charge of oral copulation with a minor under 16 as well as a charge of performing a lewd act with a 14- or 15-year-old.—
Victoria Edel,
PEOPLE,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Joseph was originally charged with forcible oral copulation, false imprisonment, and assault.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
What this means for me, practically speaking, is that the director wants a close-up of my face as my character Joe is deep in dissociative reverie mid-coitus.—
Sophie Ansari,
Vulture,
25 Sep. 2025
-
When coitus occurs, it’s scored by unctuous music.—
Vinson Cunningham,
New Yorker,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Vaginal estrogen can be especially effective for easing urinary symptoms and issues like vaginal dryness or painful intercourse that can accompany menopause.—
Emily Kay Votruba,
EverydayHealth.com,
11 Nov. 2025
-
Between 13 to 84% of postmenopausal women experience vaginal pain during intercourse, with pelvic floor tension being one of the many reasons behind the discomfort.—
Jocelyn Solis-Moreira,
Flow Space,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Sellew is a bold new voice, using sharp, stylish prose to explore the hinterland of contemporary mating.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Jan. 2026
-
One preference the females seem to have is fine sand – this is also the first to degrade in the circle, meaning the male won't reuse his masterpiece but build from scratch when another mating event requires it.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
3 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Put another way, the three latest Brood X generation map perfectly to milestones in my life cycle: birth, coition, procreation.—
Ross Kenneth Urken,
Scientific American,
14 June 2021
-
But the course of the hunt itself is unnameable and uncontrollable, like coition.—
Roberto Calasso,
Harper's Magazine,
30 Mar. 2020
Noun
-
Inside, storylines followed a formula with frequently dire consequences for the twisted woman who dared indulge in, by today’s standards, some pretty tame lovemaking.—
Trish Bendix
August 21,
Literary Hub,
21 Aug. 2025
-
No, thank you, to this mentally ill request for lovemaking.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
17 May 2025
Noun
-
The two countries signed dozens of bilateral agreements, including in a 20-year cooperation deal to repair and overhaul Venezuelan refineries and enhance military relations.—
Mostafa Salem,
CNN Money,
7 Jan. 2026
-
The National Endowment for Democracy, which promotes freedom across Latin America including in Cuba, has named Eddy Acevedo, a longtime expert in Western Hemisphere politics, as its vice president for policy and government relations.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
6 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fornication.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fornication. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
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