harlotry

noun

ˈhär-lə-trē How to pronounce harlotry (audio)
Definition of harlotrynext
disapproving
as in prostitution
the practice of engaging in sexual activities for money a city that in biblical times was infamous for licentiousness and harlotry

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 harlotry In one case, the life of an upper-class woman and contemporary of Julius Caesar, Clodia, saw her reputation destroyed by false claims of harlotry, home-wrecking, and husband-killing. — Time, 24 Nov. 2025 Within the slippery world of harlotry—where class can be transcended and humanity bought—relationships form that defy our historical assumptions about the bounded categories of human experience. — Sarah Marshall, New Republic, 2 June 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harlotry
prostitution
Noun
  • The sociologist Brian Donovan, in a book on the subject, describes how the hysteria over white slavery served at once as a progressive campaign against prostitution and as a vindication of nativist fear.
    — Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026
  • The four were charged with 13 counts each of promoting prostitution of an individual and receiving profits from prostitution.
    — WCCO Staff, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of prostitution

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harlotries
harlotry
harm
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Cite this Entry

“Harlotry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harlotry. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

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