as in vice
the practice of engaging in sexual activities for money
prostitution is illegal in most states
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of prostitution
He was acquitted of the more serious charges but convicted on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.
—
Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 15 June 2026
These smugglers charge thousands of euros a person and often force their passengers into prostitution or other forms of black market labor by withholding their documents to pay off the debt.
—ABC News, 12 June 2026
In 2011 — three years after Jeffrey Epstein plead guilty to charges of soliciting prostitution of a minor — Microsoft founder Bill Gates started communicating with him extensively.
—Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 11 June 2026
Their relationship began in 2011, three years after Epstein pleaded guilty in Florida to soliciting prostitution from a minor, and continued until at least late 2014, according to the documents.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for prostitution
Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 15 June 2026
These smugglers charge thousands of euros a person and often force their passengers into prostitution or other forms of black market labor by withholding their documents to pay off the debt.
—ABC News, 12 June 2026
In 2011 — three years after Jeffrey Epstein plead guilty to charges of soliciting prostitution of a minor — Microsoft founder Bill Gates started communicating with him extensively.
—Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 11 June 2026
Their relationship began in 2011, three years after Epstein pleaded guilty in Florida to soliciting prostitution from a minor, and continued until at least late 2014, according to the documents.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for prostitution
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prostitution
harlotry
Noun
-
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,
Time,
24 Nov. 2025
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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
Cite this Entry
“Prostitution.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prostitution. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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